Life at Factions Boarding School
by countryblueeyes
Summary: Beatrice "Tris" Prior and her brother get accepted to Factions Boarding School, where they live in one of five different groups. Tris finds it a bit difficult to fit in, even with help from her new friends. Until she meets Four, a mysterious, guarded senior. Will she make him open up to her? Lots of FourTris fluff. Summary sucks; story's better. Divergent belongs to Veronica Roth.
1. Chapter 1

**Um. Hi. This is my first fanfic, so be brutal. Actually, no please don't be too brutal. Please… Anyways, here goes nothing…**

 **TRIS POV**

I wake up to someone shaking my shoulder. "Beatrice, Beatrice, wake up, wake up!"

I groan. "Caleb, go 'way," I grumble.

"But we got our results and Mom and Dad won't lemme open them until you're up, so c'mon, get up," my older brother demands. I groan ungraciously and get up. "YAY!" he cries, running out of my room. I smile.

Caleb is less than a year older than me, but, right now, he reminds me of a little boy on Christmas morning. I walk down the stairs and see Caleb bouncing in his seat with excitement. "Morning," I mumble to my parents, still waking up. My mother smiles at me and slides me a think envelope.

"Looks positive, Beatrice," she says with a smile.

Last week, Caleb and I found out that we were going to be attending some fancy boarding school, the best in Chicago, after we moved – again – to Illinois, after being homeschooled most of our lives. Our father works for the government and always has to move. Mom's a social worker and our teacher, and we always used to help out with volunteering and whatnot. But that all changes.

We moved to Illinois and Dad and Mom decided that we'd go to Factions, some stupid, fancy boarding school, complete with dorm rooms. Caleb and I had to take this entry test – they call it the Aptitude Test, to test which group we would best succeed. Seems rather discriminatory to me, but I'm not the one flipping the bill, so my opinion practically doesn't matter.

Caleb and I look at each other and nod simultaneously, ripping open our Aptitude results.

 _Dear Ms. Beatrice Prior,_

 _Congratulations on your admission to Factions Boarding School. We are very excited to have you attend at the beginning of the semester as a junior; however you will be taking some of the senior classes due to your advanced studies._

 _We have examined your results from your Aptitude Test, and we have found something peculiar. It shows that you show high traits in three of the groups on campus: Abnegation, Erudite, Dauntless. It is rare to see one student show traits for two groups, much less three. Please call us immediately to discuss which group you would be most interested in._

 _Congratulations once again._

I scowl at my letter, rereading it. I got into three groups? And the school is going to let me choose which one I want to be in?

I look at Caleb. "Which group are you in?"

"Erudite," he says, prideful. The Erudite group focuses a lot on studies and the kids in it take all the hardest class. Of course my brilliant brother would get into that one.

"Nerd," I tease, smiling.

"You're one to talk!" he says back. He's right; I'm pretty smart, too. "What group are you in?"

I bite my lip and slide my letter towards him. He picks it up and our parents stand behind him to read too. Caleb's bright green eyes widen and both my mother and father raise their eyebrows. All three of them look up at me.

"Beatrice, this is incredibly interesting," my father says.

"Which group will you choose?" my mother asks.

I shrug. "I dunno. I was thinking Erudite, but I want to have fun outside of the books, you know? Abnegation is all about helping everyone else out, so that leaves me with no time to study. The kids in Dauntless seem kind of active and athletic, but I think I'd have time to study and be outside, doing what I want to do. I think I'm going to Dauntless." I frown again, allowing my family to digest this.

My mother smiles at me. "Well, call them up and tell them your decision."

I nod and leave the room.

XxX

Caleb elbows me. "Earth to Beatrice."

I shake my head. "I'm sorry, what?"

He laughs. "C'mon, we need to check into the office, get our stuff." I nod and follow him.

I'm completely overwhelmed by the size of Factions. There are five huge dormitories on one side of the campus and seven buildings for classes opposite of them. The campus is beautiful, with lush, green trees and even a small lake. I'm careful not to lose Caleb in my astonishment and we finally walk up to the office.

At the receptionist desk sits a middle-aged woman, wearing all blue, with perfect, blonde hair. She smiles politely. "May I help you?"

Caleb nods. "Yes. I am Caleb Prior and this is my younger sister Beatrice. We're new here and need our schedules and dorm rooms."

"Oh, of course. I'm Janine Matthews, and I'm in charge of the Erudite," says the lady. She hands us our information and we thank her, turning to leave.

"Let's drop off our luggage at the dorms first, yeah?" I suggest, already heading towards the long buildings, knowing my brother was close behind me. We stop by his dorm first. Inside, it's nearly all blue in a variety of different shades. There is a boy about our age, wearing glasses, sitting on one of the beds. He gets up and shakes our hands. "Hello. I'm Fernando, your roommate," he says to Caleb. I smile and slip out while they talk about their classes.

It takes me a while to find the Dauntless building, but when I do, I determine that it is easily the biggest dorm on campus. There is a group of boys wrestling playfully in front of the doors and I smile. I walk into my room and see that it is empty, other than two beds, two dressers and several suitcases, already on one bed. I sit on my bed and start to unpack when a tall, dark-skinned girl stumbles into the room, slamming shut the door. She's breathing heavily and slides down into a sitting position. She gives me a half-hearted wave and tries to catch her breath.

"Hey… Sorry… about that… Uriah… jumped into… lake… chasing me… wanted hug…," she pants.

I smile. "All good. So, uh, I guess we're roommates, huh?"

She nods, stands up, and walks towards me. I'm so short that I come up to her shoulder. She sticks out her hand. "Christina," she says as I shake her hand. "But I sometimes go by Chris. If you want, all up to you." She laughs.

"Beatrice," I say. She widens her eyes.

"Oh, honey," she says sympathetically.

I nod. "It was my grandmother's name," I explain.

"You need a nickname, because that is a _mouthful_ ," she says lightheartedly.

I shrug. "I don't know what else to go by…" She starts to rattle off potential nicknames when I cut her off. "How about Tris?"

She smiles. "Nice to meet you, Tris."

 **So yeah, that's it so far. Please leave me comments if you have any opinions.**

 **Also, visit my pin-along :)** **divergenerd/life-at-factions-boarding-school-fanfic-pin-along/**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, y'all. Thank you all for the follows – it means a lot to me and to my self-confidence, haha!**

 **TRIS POV**

Christina and I unpack. She's talking nonstop, explaining the point of segregating all of us based on what group we are in.

"It's so stupid, because if you have a sibling in a different group, you can't even see them unless you have the same class together or on Visiting Day or assemblies. I have a younger sister and she's in Candor – the group that is brutally honest with everything. They take a lot of psychology classes in order to tell if someone else is lying, too, which is so annoying because she can see right through everything I say and she'll tell Mom, the little traitor." She laughs. "But that was when she was a lot younger; she knows now to keep her trap shut and filters around me."

I cannot help but laugh, causing her to turn towards me. "Are you laughing at me?" she asks in mock horror.

"No, I'm laughing at the way you say things. I've never really hung out with anyone who speaks so casually about their life. I was raised to forget about myself and listen to others, but no one in my family really talked about themselves either. It's a nice change, you know?"

We both place our suitcases underneath our beds and she looks at me. "Hey, can I see your schedule? I wanna see how many classes we have together," she says excitedly. I smile and slide it over. She looks at it and her brown eyes nearly pop out of her head. "Half your classes are senior studies?" she yells, causing me to jump.

"Yeah?" I answer tentatively. "I was homeschooled, so my brother and I took classes over the summer, too. And it's just math, science, and Spanish. The easy classes."

"And English." I look at her, a questioning look evident on my face. "English is coed between juniors and seniors, for some reason. And those are _not_ easy classes, Tris, no matter what you tell me."

I smirk. "School is just super easy for me, you know?"

She opens her mouth to say something else when someone bangs on the door. "Chris! Open up! Uri says he's sorry, but you don't need to be cooped up in your room all freaking day!" a girl hollers.

Chris sighs and gets up, opening the door. On the other side stands a girl, about average-height, with bright blonde hair. She's wearing all black and is leaning against the doorway with casual innocence, despite her smudged eyeliner. She rolls her eyes when Chris opens the door.

"Look, I know Uriah can be a handful, but he was just messing with you. You didn't need to lock yourself in your room to avoid him, you know." Then she notices me. "Oh, shoot. You weren't avoiding us. You were bonding with your new roomie." She smiles. "Now, I feel like an ass. I'm Marlene."

"Tris," I say, getting up to shake her hand.

She raises her eyebrows. "Nickname?" she guesses. I nod. "Nice. So, we going to go back outside and enjoy the sunshine or what?"

Chris smiles at me a little and I say, "Sure. Let's go."

XxX

The three of us walk over to a large group next to the lake, and, like Marlene, they are all wearing all black. There are four boys; two look very similar, like brothers; one has blond hair, not unlike Marlene's; the other has dark brown hair and a tattoo peeking out of his shirt. There is another girl sitting on one of the brother's lap. Marlene sits down next to the other brother. Chris takes a seat next to the blonde and I sit between her and the brown-haired boy. He ignores me.

"Guys, this is Tris. Tris, you know Marlene," Chris starts. Marlene waves. "Then you have Uriah." The boy next to her waves next. "His older brother, Zeke." The other brother jerks his head in greeting. "His girlfriend, Shauna." The girl in Zeke's lap smiles big at me. I smile back. "This handsome man next to me is Will." The blond leans forward and waves. "And the guy next to you is Four," she finishes. The boy – Four – still hasn't acknowledged my existence.

"Four? Is that some kind of nickname?" I ask, trying to get a reaction from him. Everyone in the group goes silent, watching us. He shrugs.

At first, I think that's all I'm going to get out of him, but then he curtly says, "Yeah, you have a problem with it?"

I physically recoil, shocked by his harshness. "N-no. I just have never met someone who goes by a number," I retaliate, trying to mimic his tone.

He turns to me and narrows his eyes at me. They are a peculiar shade of dark blue, they almost appear black, except he has a tiny patch of lighter blue right next to his pupil. He has a square upper lip. Even though his features are harsh, he's quite handsome. "What I go by," he snarls, "is none of your concern. Why do you even care?"

I raise one eyebrow, and shrug. "What makes you think you can even talk to me, new kid?" he presses.

I narrow my eyes back at him when he turns away. I turned my voice to mimic innocence. "Because you're _so_ approachable." His head snaps back to me, his eyes a little wider. "You know, like a bed of nails," I finish, turning away.

I can still feel his mesmerizing eyes boring into me when he says, "Careful, Tris." He then gets up. "I'm going to finish unpacking. See you later guys."

Zeke nods and calls, "Later, bro."

Without another word, Four turns and leaves. Christina scoots closer to me. "You, my friend, have a death wish."

I look at her quizzically. "How do you figure?"

"Challenging Four like that? Oh, girlie. That takes some _balls_."

"Oh please!" I scoff. "You should see my brother if you even _try_ to tell him that he's wrong on something. 'Challenging' Four – which I so wasn't doing – was nothing in comparison."

"Whatever," she says.

"Nah, she'll be okay. Four won't hurt her," Zeke says. "If anything, you've earned some respect from him."

I smile and nod shortly, looking over at my shoulder. I watch Four's retreating figure until he goes into the Dauntless dormitory before turning back to the group's conversation.

 **Hey, thanks you guys for reading. Feel free to comment any opinions about the story so far, even** _ **CONSTRUCTIVE**_ **criticism. Hope y'all are enjoying!**

 **To Rhii xx, thank you so much for the review. It really made me smile.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi. Thank you, guys, for all the endless support. Sorry that I'm only posting a chapter a day, but I'm doing what I can – not enough hours in the day, am I right? So, without further ado…**

A week has gone by at Factions, and going to classes with other people other than Caleb is quite an adjustment. I'm not used to such strict teachers, but that proves to be the least of my troubles.

My new friends don't seem to understand why I actually do my homework and study. Even Four gave me a weird – at least, weird for him – glance when I brought a book with me to the lake the other day. The only person who has gotten used to my "weird" habits is Christina, but only because I help her with her homework from her harder classes.

I share each and every class with at least one of my friends, and the entire group is in the English class, thanks to the coed teaching. I cannot help but notice that in each of the senior classes that I take, Four is in that same class, and that the teachers _always_ place me next to him. He's even in my P.E. class, as some sort of teacher's aide or something.

I've never been super athletic, despite always being in shape. Amar, our teacher (he refuses to tell us his last name; he says that if he calls us by our first names, we call him by his first name – something to do with respect) is super tough on us but is also super nice. Over the last week, I've gained 5 pounds of pure muscle, something that I'm very proud of.

I'm trying to climb the rope in the gym when my spotter – I think his name is Peter – tugs at the bottom, hard, causing me to lose my grip and fall about 5 feet onto the mat.

"What was that for?" I hiss, holding my ankle. I think I may have sprained it.

"You were too… _stiff_ ," he sneers, turning and walking away.

I roll my eyes. I don't know why, but he has this problem with me and I feel as if he's trying to sabotage me in this class. We share a couple of other classes together, and he's a jerk to me in those classes, too. I try to stand up and put weight on my ankle, collapsing immediately. Four notices and walks over.

"You okay?" he asks with vague concern, the kind Caleb used to use on me when I got hurt as a kid. Like he sees me as his little sister, someone who he needs to protect.

I don't want him to see me as his little sister.

"I think so," I say casually, trying to stand up again. I place weight on my foot cautiously and would have fallen again if Four hadn't caught me.

His long fingers find the slither of skin on my hip, sending sparks through my body. My legs feel weak again. At first, I think that it's my ankle, but I quickly realize it's _him_. As arrogant and rude as Four is, something about him makes me feel like I'll spontaneously combust, or burst into flames. Or both. Even after he shifts his hand, I still feel his warmth in the ghost of his fingers.

"No, you aren't. C'mon," he says – a little breathlessly maybe, or perhaps it's just my imagination – as he helps me over to a bleacher. "Stay put," he says with authority, now that he's caught his breath. I roll my eyes as he goes and gets some ice and bandages to wrap my ankle. He gently places the ice on the swelling and sits down next to me. "Let me see it," he commands. I turn carefully and place my injured foot in between us. "Do you mind?" he asks, causing me to shake my head no. Gently, with his long fingers, he examines my ankle. "It's just twisted. You'll be okay in a couple of hours," he states, matter-of-factly while he starts wrap it. "You know, you're doing well. Peter is just jealous because you're a girl and are doing better than he is. Just keep your distance and ignore him. He's all bark, you know?" I nod and smile. This is a new side of Four that I haven't seen. Maybe he isn't such an ass.

"Got yourself a girlfriend, Four?" someone sneers. I look up and see a boy that is a few inches shorter than Four is. His dark hair is long and greasy and he has way too many piercings on his face.

Four stiffens. "Even if she was, Eric, I don't see how that is _your_ business," he growls. Eric cackles and walks away.

"Who's that?" I ask.

Four glances at me. "My version of Peter." He finishes his work on my foot, getting up. "I want you to sit out for the rest of the day. I'll tell Amar." Without another word, he turns and leaves.

XxX

Later that evening, I find myself locked in my dorm with Chris, Marlene, and Shauna. Mar and Shauna are guarding the door, making me trapped. Christina has her makeup bag in her hand. "Absolutely not," I say for the hundredth time. "I refuse to be your little Barbie doll."

"Tris, you have no say," Chris laughs.

"You can't make me pretty, you know," I try.

"Who gives a flying frick about _pretty_?" she replies. "Don't you wanna be more noticeable? _For_ any specific guys, maybe?"

I narrow my eyes at her and her slight emphasize on "for". I never should have admitted to her that I thought Four was cute. She's constantly dropping "subtle" hints that I should ask him out, despite the fact that he's so closed off and distant from people, especially me. When I had told her that, she countered, "You didn't know him before like how the rest of us did. You've changed him – he hangs out with us more now because of you. I think he likes you." I had told her that it was unlikely.

But now, I cave to her incredulous desire to give me a make-over. I sit on my bed and close my eyes as she puts on eyeshadows and eyeliner and other makeup. It's a Friday night and there is a huge, underground party going on behind the forest near the lake. I wanted to stay in and study for next week but Chris and the other girls put me through one hell of a guilt trip until I agreed to go, even for a little while.

I open my eyes when Christina has finished, looking at our mirror, but someone covered it up. "Not until you're dressed and your hair is done, Tris," Chris answers my unspoken question.

Shauna, who is relatively tall, hands me a tight dress. "It's one of my shirts, but it's long…ish." I raise my eyebrows, but put it on wordlessly. It's really low-cut, but it shows my curves nicely. It even shows the tattoo I got in California for my 16th birthday of the three ravens flying across my collarbone, not 5 months ago.

Chris curls my hair and brushes it. When she finishes, Marlene and Shauna uncover the mirror. I gasp. My pale, blue-grey eyes look brighter with the smoky-eye effect. My long, dull blonde hair is wavy, complimenting my features well. The shirt is short, coming up to my upper thigh, but looks good on me, making me look a little taller, especially with the heels that Chris lent me.

"You see? You, Tris, are so much more than 'pretty'; you're striking," she says.

I nod absentmindedly, too distracted by my reflection. I used to be Beatrice, a girl who was shy and polite, who stayed quiet and did her homework three days before it was due. Now, I am Tris, a young woman who wears clothes that show too much skin and goes out with her friends on Friday nights.

I turn to the other girls. "Thanks, you guys." They smile at me. I smile back. "Let's go."

With that, we leave for the party.

 **Thank you all for the lovely comments and support. You are all amazing!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey hey, everyone. Thank you all for all the support. A lot of you are really excited about the party scene, so I really, really,** _ **really**_ **hope I don't disappoint. My fingers are crossed!**

I can hear the music before the girls and I reach the tree line of the forest. "So, whose party is this?" I ask.

"Technically, it's just a Dauntless party," Shauna says. "But Uri and Zeke are the ones hosting it."

"Are we going to get caught?" I ask shyly.

Marlene laughs. "Unlikely, goody-two-shoes. They throw parties here all the time, and the location is a secret."

"Well, how did they find it?" I question curiously.

"That's also a secret," Chris replies. "My theory is that one of them got lost in the woods and stumbled on it." Shauna and Mar laugh.

The four of us disappear into the trees. It's difficult to see, but I just follow Chris because she seems to know where we are going. Within seconds, we enter a clearing. There is a bright fire burning in the center. I look up and see that the leaves have cleared so the smoke can rise safely. There is a large speaker thumping next to several coolers. Four and Zeke are talking next to it, each holding a can of something, Four with his back to where we emerged. Will is sitting on one cooler, messing around with the sound system. Uriah is chatting to a small group of people. Zeke notices that we've shown up and comes over to us.

"Hello, ladies. You all look ravishing this evening." He glances at me. "Who is that and what has she done to our very conservative Tris?"

Shauna laughs and puts her arm around him. "It's still her. _We_ got ahold of her, is all. C'mon, Zeke. Girls, if you'd excuse me…," she smiles as they walk away.

Marlene walks over to Uriah and hugs him from behind. He smiles and turns, planting a kiss on her lips. I smile a little and turn to Christina. She grabs my hand and tugs me over to the coolers. Each cooler has a label. One says, "Beer"; the one next to it says "Soda"; the next one says "Water"; the last one says "Gatorade".

"Why so many beverages?" I ask.

Christina looks at me in shock. "Have you ever had a beer?" I shake my head. " _Wow_ , you are conservative, girlie. They say that if you drink water and Gatorade in between beers, you won't get a hangover. I never drink enough to get hungover, so I don't know how true that theory is." She leans down and grabs a beer, offering it to me. I shake my head again, reaching for a Coke. She shrugs and says, "I'm going to chill with my boyfriend. I suggest you try to get a boyfriend." She laughs, inclining her head to Four. He's facing the fire. When I turn back to face Chris, I see that she isn't next to me anymore. I swear quietly and take a deep breath.

I take a step towards Four. "Hey, Four. How're you?" I ask casually. In heels, I only come up to his shoulder, he's so tall.

He shrugs without looking at me. "Alright." Typical.

I bite my lip. "Can I ask you something?"

He smirks. "You just did."

I roll my eyes. "You know what I mean, Four," I say sourly. He laughs. "I think that this is the first time I've heard you laugh," I muse. His laughter ceases immediately. He still hasn't looked at me. "No, it's fine… just an… observation…" I say quietly. I notice how his jaw clenches.

"What was your question, Tris?" he asks, a little venomously.

"Oh, right. Nevermind, it was stupid. Forget it," I say.

He sighs, _still_ refusing to look at me. "No. Ask me."

"W-why are you so closed off to me?"

"I'm closed off to everyone, Tris. Don't take it personally, okay?" he says, turning to face me.

When our eyes meet, I feel butterflies. "Wow, Tris, you, uh, you look…different." He hesitates, trying to inconspicuously glance down. "I, uh, I didn't know you had a tattoo," he says, his long fingers brushing my hair over my shoulder carefully. Goosebumps rise on my skin as he examines it. "Crows?" he asks.

"Ravens," I say. "One for each member in my family; my mother, father, and brother. It's stupid, I know, but I was feeling particularly rebellious the day I got this."

"Well, you look… good, Tris," he says.

I smile. "What's your's?"

"What's my what?"

"Your tattoo. The one on your back," I clarify.

He smirks. "It's on my back so people can't see it, so it's a secret for my knowledge alone. Sorry, Tris." He downs the last of his drink, which is a soda, like me.

"Don't have a taste for beer either?" I ask.

"Not tonight, but my Coke's spiked with just a little bit of Zeke's Jack." I look at him, clueless. "Jack Daniels." I shake my head, not understanding. He sighs. "Whiskey. Just a little, barely enough for a buzz. Wanna try it?" he offers.

"I'm good. Thanks though," I say.

He shrugs. "I'm getting another one. You good on drinks?"

I smile a little, shrugging. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He nods shortly. "I'll be back," he says as he goes over to Zeke and Shauna, who are making out. He taps Zeke's shoulder and Zeke hands him a flask without unlocking his lips from Shauna. _They must do this often_ , I think, turning away, towards the edge of the trees. Despite the raging fire, there isn't a lot of smoke. The sky is clear for once and I can see some stars. I remember once, when Caleb and I were little, that we went camping in the desert. I had never seen so many stars in my life before that. I lean against a tree, still staring up. I feel really calm, and I'm surprised to notice that I'm enjoying myself.

There are more people now, and everyone is wearing all black. The music is still booming and there are people dancing in a sea of black cloth. I look around, but I can't see Four anymore. I frown.

Just then, a hand covers my mouth and I'm dragged into the dark. I thrash, trying to get whoever has me off, but someone else grabs my legs, making me lose my leverage. I bite the hand covering my mouth, hard. I hear a harsh hiss. "Just keep her mouth covered," a voice says. I remember that voice well; I share several classes with it. Peter.

I struggle harder, but I know that there are two people kidnapping me, dragging me deeper into the woods, and, logically, I know that they outweigh me in both numbers and strength.

When we get far enough away from the party, they dump me in the dirt. I scream and feel a blunt force on my cheek. I see a flash of orange hair and recognize my second attacker as Drew, Peter's best friend.

Peter straddles me, placing all his weight on me. I reach up to hit him but he pins my arms to my side. "Are you sure you're 16, Stiff?" He places his big, meaty hands on my boobs. "Doesn't feel like anything's there." He cackles. He begins to push my dress up when I jerk my knee into his family jewels.

He groans and Drew holds me down. Luckily for me, I'm in a dress and my legs are free. Unluckily for him, he has a bad vantage point. I fight him and he collapses in pain. When I turn around, Peter knocks me down. I struggle underneath him as his hands tighten around my neck.

He tightens them slowly and I try to scream. _He's going to kill me_ , I think as black spots start to appear on the edges of my vision. I also see that Drew is getting up, coming over to watch out. Suddenly, Peter's weight is off me, and I hear a couple grunts of pain. I also hear someone run away as the other attacker hits the ground hard, unconscious.

A tall figure rushes towards me. I feel strong arms go under my knees and slide under my arms, lifting me bridal style. I roll my head against my rescuer's neck and see the edge of a tattoo. "Four," I mumble before I black out completely.

 **Alrighty, you guys. I really hope this didn't disappoint.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! A lot of you seemed to have liked the party scene, with is a huge relief for me – I was super worried.**

When I open my eyes, the first thing I see is a poster with the words "Fear God Alone" painted on it. It's still dark out and I'm alone. I scowl. _This isn't my room_.

I hear running water. I'm in a warm, comfortable bed, wrapped in blue patchwork quilt. I try to sit up to look at the bathroom, and wince as a shooting pain goes up to my head. I must've hit it at the party…

Oh, God, the party. Peter and Drew attacked me. And someone saved me… I remember seeing the corner of a neck tattoo. _Four_.

I see him standing in the bathroom washing his hands thoroughly. Even from where I'm lying, I can see that his knuckles are bloody. He shuts the water off hastily, keeping his expression placid as he examines his injuries. He glances at me and our eyes meet. He walks towards a small refrigerator and gets an ice pack out.

"Your hands," I croak. My throat hurts from where Peter had wrapped his hands.

"My hands," he replies testily, "are none of your concern, Tris. Especially considering how badly you could've been hurt." He carefully slips the ice pack under my head. Before he leans away, I unthinkingly raise my hand to the cut at the corner of his mouth.

"Tris," he mumbles against my fingers, "I'm alright."

"How did you find me?" I ask. "I was in the middle of the forest and no one noticed when they grabbed me…" I trail off, dropping my hand.

"After I got the Jack from Zeke, girls kept coming up to me, so I started walking in the tree line, looking for you." He clears his throat nervously. That explains why I didn't see him before I was grabbed. "Then I heard a scream of pure panic. So I followed it."

"What did you do?"

"Zeke took Drew to the hospital wing about half an hour ago. Peter ran. Zeke said that he _thinks_ Drew was saying that they weren't really going to hurt you."

"He's in pretty bad shape, huh?" I ask.

"He'll live," he spits bitterly.

I know it's wrong to wish ill onto others, but Drew and Peter tried to kill me. I gently place my hand on Four's arm, causing him to look up at me. "Thank you," I say. Then I burst into tears.

I hate crying in front of people, because people usually take pity upon me because I'm small. But Four just sits next to the bed and watches me, curiously. I see no pity in his eyes and I'm relieved. He gently pulls his arm free and places his hand on my cheek. His thumb cautiously skims my cheekbone. His movements are careful and calculated.

Even when I stop crying, his thumb absentmindedly stokes my cheek. "You don't have to be strong right now, Tris. It's just me here."

"I'm okay." He raises his eyebrows at me, not believing my words. "Really."

"We should report this, you know," he says. I try not to smile – I like the way he says "we".

"Absolutely not," I say, terrified at the idea. "I can't let them see that they've affected me."

"I figured you'd say that," he says quietly. "Why does it matter?"

I feel my cheeks warm. "Four, you wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"They… touched me." I feel him tense up and see how his free hand balls into a fist. I can tell that he has rage pumping through him. "Not like _that_ , but… they were going to."

There's silence between us for a while, and my eyelids are beginning to feel heavy.

He grabs my hand. "Tris. I need you to do something for me, okay?" I nod a little. "The important thing right now is that you are safe. I want you to stay close to me… and the group. Avoid Peter at all costs now. I'll help you in P.E. now. I…I want you to be safe. Just keep close to us, okay?"

I gulp, looking away from him. "You don't need to look after me, Four."

He raises his eyebrows at me. "Oh, I see," he says slowly. "You think that my first instinct is to protect you, because you're a girl or small or whatever. But you're wrong." I glance at him quickly before looking back down. "My _first_ instinct is to break you," he says slowly and deadly. "And to push you as hard as I can, just to see how hard I need to push until you break."

"And why is that your first instinct?" I mutter.

He shrugs. "Because I want to see how strong you really are. But that's beside the point. Will you stay close to me and everyone else?"

"Okay," I say in a quiet voice.

"But, when you see an opportunity," he gently lifts my head, forcing me to look at him, " _ruin_ him."

I smile. "You know, you're a little scary, Four."

He smirks. "I try. Now get some rest. Zeke won't be around til tomorrow, and I'd rather you sleep here, where I can be sure…" he trails off, scratching the back of his neck.

I reach towards him and lace my fingers with his. He looks at me, surprised, and gives my hand a light squeeze. I shut my eyes and fall asleep with him running his fingers over my knuckles.

XxX

When I wake up, it's still pretty early. I look at the nightstand next to my bed and see that it's only 8 in the morning. I shut my eyes again and snuggle deeper into bed, taking a deep breath. My bed smells like…boy. I snap my eyes open and realize that I'm not in my room. I cautiously sit up, ignoring the splitting pain in my head. I see Four sleeping on his stomach next to me on the floor.

I stretch my back out and tug the dress down.

I hear a deep sigh. "You're up," a deep voice says.

I smile. "So are you."

Four stands up and cracks his back. "How do you feel?"

"Better. You?"

"Like I slept on the floor." He laughs. I like the sound of his laugh. He goes over to his dresser and rummages through it. He tosses a pair of black gym shorts and a black sweatshirt to me. "Here. That way you don't look like you're doing the walk of shame."

"Four!" I say in mock horror. "Did you just make a joke?"

He smirks. "You can get changed in the bathroom," he says as he plops down on his bed.

I smile as I walk into the bathroom. "You mind if I shower?" I call.

"Go ahead," he replies groggily.

I jump in his shower and get all my makeup off. When I get out, I put Four's shorts and sweatshirt on. I put my hair into a sloppy bun and walk out.

Four is sleeping again, snoring softly. He looks so innocent when he's asleep; he doesn't look like he's 18 and a senior. He's actually…adorable.

 _Stop it, Tris_ , I chastise myself. I write Four a little note, explaining that I had left. Before I can do anything I'm going to end up regretting, I soundlessly slip out of the door and walk the empty halls back to my room.

 **Okay, I know this is** _ **really**_ **similar to the book, but it was one of my favorite scenes, so I didn't want to stray from it too much, you know?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for reading!**

I slip into my room and see that Chris is still asleep. Her makeup is smudged and there's a little line of drool coming from the corner of her mouth. I smile and walk into our bathroom. I take my hair out of the bun and try to dry it with a towel.

Once my hair is mostly dry, I change into a pair of tight jeans and put a tank top under Four's sweatshirt. It's warm and smells like him, so I don't want to take it off. I put Chris's heels over on her side of our room and try to silently tidy up. I give up after a few minutes, because most of the mess is on her side and I don't want to risk waking her up. I sigh and put on a pair of shoes and a scarf. It's only a little chilly outside, but I don't want anyone to see the bruises that Peter has caused.

I'm about to walk outside when I remember my promise to Four. I said I wouldn't go anywhere without one of our friends with me. I groan and take off my scarf, plopping down on my bed. I pull my laptop and start on some homework.

After a little while, Chris starts stirring. "You awake?" I whisper. I figured out by our third day together that if I whisper, I won't wake her up completely unless she wants to actually get up. She grunts in response. "You wanna get food?" I say quietly. Another grunt. I nod to myself, knowing that she'll get up within the next ten minutes.

Sure enough, six minutes later, she rolls over and stretches. "Are you seriously doing homework?" she asks.

"Yup. Almost done, too."

"Nerd."

I laugh. "C'mon. Let's get some food. I'm starving." She gets up, grabs her clothes – which are all black – and changes in the bathroom.

"Did you clean in here?" she says from behind the locked door.

"Yeah. It was dirty because of all that makeup," I tease.

She walks out. "How early did you wake up?"

"Eight."

"And what time did you get in last night? I came in after midnight, so you couldn't've gotten that much sleep."

I hesitate. "I didn't come in until about 8:30 this morning…"

Her eyes widen. "Where did you sleep?" she yells. I cast my eyes down, absentmindedly tugging Four's sleeves past my hands. "That's Four's jacket," she muses. "Why do you have Four's – OH MY GOD!" she yells, smiling so big, I worry that she'll split her lip.

" _Shhhhhh!_ " I hiss.

She skips over to me, jumping up and down excitedly. "You were with Four last night! I need details! My baby's all grown up." She pretends to wipe a tear.

"It's not what you think, Christina," I say.

She sits down across from me. "Then spill."

So I do. I tell her everything that happened with Peter and Drew. I tell her how Four saved me and took me back to his room. I don't share everything about our conversation, only about my promise to stay with people from our group. I especially avoid mentioning that we help hands. But, surprisingly, she stays silent throughout my story.

"Are you okay?" she asks silently.

"Yeah. It could have been worse if Four hadn't come in." I blush.

"Tris?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like him?" I turn redder, looking down. "Tris, do you care for Four in a way different from a friend?"

I nod a little.

"Tris, look at me. I'm going to call in Mar and Shauna and the three of us are going to tell you a little something about him, okay?"

I look at her. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see. They're roomies, and Marlene's usually an early riser, so they'll be here really quick."

XxX

Ten minutes later, Marlene drags Shauna in our room, holding four cups of coffee. "Good morning," she says cheerfully. Shauna grunts and falls in Chris's bed. Within seconds, she's snoring softly. Chris walks over to her and shakes her shoulder violently.

"Shauna, this is really important! This has to do with Four and Tris!"

"Nooooo," she moans uncivilly.

"What about them?" Marlene asks innocently, looking at me.

I blush as Chris says, "Tris slept in Four's room last night."

With that, Shauna bolts up in bed. "Now I'm awake!"

I glare at Christina. "Okay, it's _not_ how it sounds." Shauna and Marlene look at me patiently as Chris starts to fix herself a cup of coffee. I launch into my attack story again, giving no more nor less detail than I gave Christina.

When I finish, she says, "And now she has a crush on Four. And I think you know why I called you in here."

Mar and Shauna glance at each other. Marlene gets up and gets a cup of coffee as Shauna slides onto the floor. Shauna starts. "I've known Four since we were freshmen. I met him through Zeke – they are roommates, which I'm sure you know. He was really quiet back then, and never made eye contact with anyone for more than five seconds. He was pretty jumpy too and refused to tell anyone his real name. Zeke came up with the nickname 'Four' for him because he has four long scars on his back. He once told me they looked like whip marks, and everything clicked with me then. His jumpiness, his inability to meet our eyes, the fact that he sleeps on his stomach – he fell asleep one night when the three of us were hanging out – and his quietness were signs that he was abused.

"That being said, when I asked him about it, he refused to tell me and wouldn't talk to me for about two weeks, until I apologized and promised to never bring it up again. But I never forgot."

Marlene pipes up. "Chris, Uri, Will, and I came in a year later. We all became friends really quickly and, because Uri and Zeke are brothers and Shauna and I are roomies, our groups merged. Four was really closed off – I mean, he still is, but he was a million times worse then – and wouldn't even talk to us. He rarely hung out. He wasn't jumpy anymore though. Now, we know he was taking fighting lessons from Amar, and it was obvious that he wasn't someone you wanted to mess with."

"He hit puberty that summer. Wait, no. Allow me to rephrase: he beat the living shit out of puberty over summer." She smiles. "And a lot of girls noticed. They practically threw themselves at him, but he wanted no part of it. Even Mar tried flirting with him, to get Uriah jealous." Marlene stuck her tongue out. "But nothing."

"The next year," Chris chimes in, "was when he started opening up to the four of us. Even then, he answered mostly in one-worded answers. He went out on, like, what? Two dates?" Shauna nods. "Two dates and the following days, both girls were in bitter moods. I had class with one of them – Nicole, who was a red-head from hell – and she told her friends that he wouldn't talk at all and said that he wasn't sure that she was _his type_.

"We had expected that he'd be as shut off as usual this year, only coming to things if Zeke dragged him. But we were proven wrong."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"He's actually carrying on conversations now," replies Shauna. "He smiles more, hangs out with us more. I even heard him laughing at the party when he was talking to you." Marlene and Chris both snap their heads to look at her. "Oh, yeah. Actually _laughing_."

"Damn," mumbles Marlene.

"Tris, you've changed him," Chris says. The other two girls nod in agreement. "I know you like him, and I'm willing to bet that he likes you, too."

"Screw that!" Shauna says. "I be _damned_ if he doesn't like you back."

I blush.

"There's something you're not telling us, Tris," Christina notices.

I sigh. "He says he doesn't want me going anywhere without one of our friends in case Peter comes after me again. He says he _wants_ me to stay safe. He's even offered to help me during P.E. to keep an eye on me…" I mumble.

Shauna smiles widely. "Oh, honey. He's got it bad for you, just as bad as you have it for him."

I smile. "You think?"

She laughs. "Tris, I've known that boy for four years. I _know_ that he's crazy about you, just in the way he acts now."

I cannot help but blush. I get up and get one of the cups of coffee.

Marlene's stomach growls. "Is it time for food yet?" she asks.

We all laugh and walk towards the cafeteria. Drew isn't there, but Peter has a nasty black eye. I smirk as he avoids my eyes. The girls and I get our food and sit at our usual table. We tease each other about each other's boyfriends – none of the guys have shown up – when someone places their tray next to me.

"Next sweatshirt," a deep voice whispers in my ear. I smile and turn around, looking into deep blue eyes.

Goosebumps rise on my arms as I say, "Thank you, Four."

"Do you wanna get out of here?" he asks.

I smile, nod, and get up. "I'll see you girls later," I say as I follow him out of the dining hall.

 **Okay, I know it's evil to end a chapter like that, but I'm exhausted and didn't know where else to end it without launching into another two pages.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you, everyone, for reading, but fair warning! I won't have internet this coming weekend so there won't be any updates. Sorry! But I'll make it up to you guys somehow…**

I follow Four out of the dining hall silently, but I'm incredibly nervous. Why did he want to be away from our friends? What can be so important that we need to be alone?

He leads me to a grassy patch next to the cafeteria and sits down. I hesitantly sit across from him. "So, why are we here?" I ask timidly.

He smiles crookedly. "Because I want to talk."

"About…?"

He shrugs. "Everything. Firstly, how are you feeling?"

I laugh. "I'm fine, Four. How about you? Still feel like you slept on the floor?"

"Sort of. I slept for another hour after you left. Actually, you scared me to death when I woke up and didn't see you. Thank you for the note, by the way."

I roll my eyes. "I didn't want you freaking."

He leans back onto the palms of his hands. "So, I have a question for you?"

Uh-oh. "Yes?"

"Have Christina, Shauna, and Marlene told you anything about me?"

 _Shit._ "No," I say.

"Maybe you were cut out for Candor, Tris, because you're a terrible liar." He smirks.

"Yeah, they did," I whisper.

Surprisingly, he chuckles. "I figured they would by now. They were never one for keeping things to themselves. Well, Shauna used to be a good secret-keeper, until Mar and Chris came."

"So you're not mad that they said anything to me?"

"Oh, yeah, I am. But there's nothing I can do about it, right?" He stretches his legs out, laying them next to me.

"Can I ask _you_ something?" I ask. He nods. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Were you…abused?" I mumble the last word.

I immediately regret asking; he tenses up and clenches his teeth. He swears under his breath and gets up. He sighs and offers me his hand. I look at him questioningly. "I'd rather not have this conversation where we can be easily overheard." I take his hand and he helps me up. He interlocks his fingers with mine and we walk back to the Dauntless Dormitory. We walk through the halls before we come to his dorm room. He opens the door and holds it open for me.

"Zeke went to get breakfast, I think," he says. He's still tense.

"Four, if you don't want to tell me, I totally understand –"

He cuts me off. "No. I…need to do this." He slumps down on his bed, with his head in his hands. He looks so defeated, so I sit next to him and rub his back. He sighs.

"There are some thing I don't tell anyone – not even Zeke and Shauna… My father has always been an angry man," he starts, "but he never laid a hand on me until I was nine – that was when my mom died. She used to take all the beatings from him to spare me, but once she was gone, who was there to stop him?

"It wasn't that bad at first. Couple of shoves here and there, or locking me in the closet upstairs for hours on end without fresh air – those were the worse. But as I got older, he'd start kicking me and punching me. When I was eleven, I tried to sneak out, but he caught me. He had me turn around and kneel, shirtless. I was terrified, but I never would have guessed what he'd do next.

"He used to race horses when he was younger, and he kept a lot of his old riding stuff, including his favorite crop – the whip thing jockeys use on the horses. I'll never forget his words – 'this is for your own good,' he'd told me before he hit me with it, four times. I had never been in worse pain in my life, which is really saying something. Luckily, he ended up switching the crop for his belt after that first time. It still hurt, but not as bad as the whip." He sits up and looks at me.

"Why didn't you call someone?" I ask.

"Because my father is Marcus Eaton." I raise my eyebrows. Eaton is a senator for Illinois. My father worked closely with him before he was elected. Dad mentioned Eaton had a son, a son whose name was…

" _Tobias_ ," I say in recognition. He looks at me, surprised. "Oh my God…" I trail off.

"At the end of freshman year," Four continues, "I got the tattoo on my back in order to cover the scars he's left over the years – there was a senior, Bud, who did tattoos for extremely discounted prices. Marcus broke two ribs and fractured my wrist the night I came back. Child services came and took me, but because Marcus is so high-profile, everyone kept it hush-hush. The next year, I talked to Amar and convinced him to give me self-defense 'classes'. When I went home, Marcus hit me, but I blocked it. His eyes were wide and wild, but he left me alone for the rest of summer. Last summer, I went home with Zeke and Uriah."

I look down and stay silent for a while. "My God. I hate him – I'm so sorry you had to live through that, Four…."

He turns his body to face me, but I refuse to look up. He puts one hand over mine and uses the other to lift my chin. The way he looks at me, so curious and surprised, makes me squirm.

"Stop that," I say, smiling.

He grins. "Stop what?"

"Stop staring at me like that."

"Like how?"

"I dunno, just how you were. Stop," I say laughing.

"But I like observing people."

"Maybe you were cut out for Candor – you're a crappy liar."

He laughs. "Okay, fine. I like looking at _you_." His face goes serious. "I really like you, you know."

I blush. "I-I like you, too. But… you're older than me."

He chuckles. "Yes, that whopping two-year gap is insurmountable, isn't it?"

"That's not what I mean. I'm younger, and I'm not particularly _pretty_." He smiles, shaking his head, not believing me. "Don't pretend. You know I'm not – I'm just average."

"Who cares? I like the way you look because, to me, you are beautiful. You're deadly smart and so brave. And even though you found out about Marcus…" His voice softens, "you aren't giving me that look, like I'm a kicked puppy or something."

"That's because you're not, Four."

He smiles a tiny smile. "Do me a favor. Don't call me 'Four'. It's…nice to hear you say my name." His cheeks redden.

"If you say so, Tobias," I whisper.

With that, he leans in and lightly brushes his lips on mine. I tense, shocked and he pulls back, smiling. He leans in again, deepening the kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls me onto his lap. One of his hands is on my lower back and the other is holding my chin. I feel butterflies in my stomach, but I love the feeling of kissing him. Not anyone, _him_.

Just then, the door opens. "Four, bro, get out of bed – oh!" Zeke jumps when he comes into his room, his dark cheeks deepening with a blush. "I'm just going to –" he slams the door shut as Tobias and I start laughing.

"You ready?" he asks.

"As ready as I'm going to get," I respond. "Oh, your hoodie." I start to pull it over my head, but he holds my wrist.

"Keep it. Looks better on you anyways." I blush. We interlock our fingers and walk out his bedroom.

 **I couldn't hold it anymore – I needed FourTris fluff! Hope everyone likes it *is incredibly nervous*. Also, I'd love suggestions on what Tobias's tattoo should be. Comment your opinions about everything. If most of you hate this update, I'll delete it and make another chapter, so** _ **please**_ **put your thoughts in the review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Zeke walks several feet in front of Tobias and me. I can tell by his stance and the way he's walking that he's still in shock from walking in on us kissing. I bite my lip to keep myself from laughing and Tobias squeezes my hand. I glance at him and he's smirking. We walk back into the cafeteria and everyone _stares_ at the three of us.

At first, I'm shocked – what the hell is their problem? Then I feel Tobias tense up next to me. Oh. Right. The school's most closed off senior is holding hands with the new, unknown junior.

We make our way to the table where Chris, Will, Mar, Uri, and Shauna – who haven't noticed the sudden silence in the entire dining hall – are sitting. Zeke wordlessly slides in next to Shauna as I sit between Christina and Tobias.

"Zeke, baby, you okay?" Shauna asks, concerned. His jaw is slack, and it's obvious that he's still in an uncomfortable astonishment.

He shakes his head. "Four and Tris were kissing!" he whispers harshly and loudly, kind of like a little kid.

As he says that, at the same time, five heads snap to me and Tobias. There is silence at our table for a few seconds, until Chris yells, "What?" and Uri gets up to high-five Tobias, saying, "Yeah, get some, Four!" I try to calm Christina down as Tobias lightheartedly swats Uriah's hand away.

"You mean to tell me you go from whispering that you like him and saying it's impossible for him to like you back to freaking kissing him in less than an hour?" Chris whispers harshly in my ear.

"Chris, I said it was _unlikely_ , it was over an hour, and _yes_ ," I murmur soothingly.

"Guess you're not as innocent as we thought," she mumbles as I hit her arm playfully.

"HEY!" I say, smiling.

Will clears his throat, and gets the group's attention off of us. "So, Four and Tris are dating, it's a lovely Saturday and we have nothing to do, so what's the game plan?"

As ideas start flying across the table, I scoot closer to Tobias. He runs his thumb over my knuckles, which is an amazing feeling. I nudge him slightly with my elbow and say, "Actually, you guys, I still have homework I need to finish, but I swear to hang out tomorrow."

Chris looks at me, stunned. "But I thought you said you were almost finis – OW!" she hisses when I kick her under the table.

"Same. I also didn't sleep too well last night, so I'm going to crash for a little while," Tobias adds, catching on.

Zeke makes a face, but doesn't say anything. Uriah and Marlene give both of us a curious look, but also stay silent. Shauna gives me a knowing smile as Will looks at Chris's new bruise on her shin.

Shauna speaks up. "Okay then. I guess we'll see you guys later, then."

XxX

Half an hour later, I hear a knock on my door over my TV. I was being serious when I said I had homework to do (even though I was watching _The Avengers_ while completing it), so Tobias agreed he'd wait 30 minutes – and no more – before coming to hang out with me. I smile as I open the door for him. He walks in. "You done?" he asks.

"I only have five minutes to do before I'm finished," I answer.

He sits on my bed and says, "Okay. I can wait."

I smile gratefully and finish the last of my Stats worksheet. When I set my textbook on my nightstand, Tobias leans over and kisses me. I pull back, laughing. I grab his hands and pull him next to me. He stretches out on his back and puts his arm around me. I put my head on his chest. We're two strong skeletons, wrapped in muscle, tangled together. We just lie like that, watching the movie.

"Tris?" he asks after a few minutes.

"Mmm?" I respond. I had almost fallen asleep in his arms.

"Tell me about your childhood."

I snuggle closer to him, breathing him in. "It was happy. I have a mother who is selfless and brave. She homeschooled my brother, Caleb, and me for most of our lives, and we took classes over the summer, too, in order to get ahead, and that's why I'm in some senior classes. Caleb is eight months older than me – I was born three weeks prematurely – and we're really close. In fact, this is the longest we've gone without speaking… since the first day of the semester."

"And your father?" he asks.

"Dad was always busy. He works for the government, going where he's needed. That's why Caleb and I were homeschooled – they didn't want us getting too attached to one place. Mom used to make us volunteer all the time, too. She used to say that social interactions were just as important as the books. My favorite home – before here, of course," I smile, "was Southern California. We lived in the suburbs of Los Angeles and Dad flew to Sacramento every day, on the government's dime, which never made sense to me, because why didn't we just live up north, but, apparently, they wanted us to be closer to LA so Mom, Caleb and I could volunteer with the homeless there. On my sixteenth birthday, Mom took Caleb and me to Venice Beach and allowed me to get a tattoo. She offered to let Caleb get one, but he didn't want to 'mark up his skin'. I chose the ravens because birds are free and can go everywhere and anywhere they want, just like my family." **(AN: I'll be honest, I don't know if you can really get a tattoo in Venice at 16 with a parent's permission, but it wouldn't really surprise me…)**

"That's beautiful, poetic…" he murmurs in my ear. I look up at him and our lips meet.

One of my hands is on his chest; the other is trapped between us. His arm that is around me tightens and he rests his hand on the small of my back. His free hand wraps itself in my hair. I don't know how long we stay like that, though it feels like forever. I decide that I can spend every second of eternity kissing him and never tire of it.

Unfortunately, he pulls away, smiling. "I guess it's my turn now, huh?"

I raise one eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

He bites his lip. He's adorable when he does that. "The tattoo… I guess it's my turn to show you mine." He sits up and grabs the neck of his t-shirt, yanking it over his head. **(Like how Theo took his shirt off in the movie. The hot way *laughs*)** He tosses his shirt towards the foot of my bed as I sit up to look at his back.

"Oh my God," I say, my voice full of awe. "It's…incredible."

 **And that is it, muwahaha. Okay, I'm sorry it's so short and the ending's really evil, but it's late, and I'm tired. Thank you all for reading this and leaving me all the beautiful reviews and for following me and the story. It really means a lot to me! And keep giving suggestions for Tobias's tattoo. I have a really good idea for what I want, but I'm love reading your ideas! Please let me know!**

 **Grass: Thank you, baby girl, for the support! I miss you very much and I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! I promise to visit you soon, okay?**

 **BooksLover2000: Thank you for the suggestion for the tattoo! It was super helpful! *smiles* and thank you for being such an "eager reader" :P**

 **Guest: I'm glad you like Zeke's reaction from the last chapter. And you were right!**

 **kim4trisntobias4ever: Thank you for saying that you're loving the story so far! I'm really happy.**

 **TrisTobyUri: YAY!**

 **divergentxolympianxtribute: Thank you for the suggestion for the tat! Hella helpful! I'll definitely check out your stories soon though.**

 **alexa-campbell2: Thank you for the suggestion! Was useful! And I agree, the movie tat is super hot.**

 **Divergentseriesfan13: OH MY GOD! I'm super stocked that you're enjoying the story and THANK YOU SO MUCH for saying I'm an amazing writer. Thank you for the suggestion on the tattoo.**

 **blym8749: YAY I'm sooo glad that you're loving the story. And THANK YOU SO MUCH for saying that I'm an amazing writer, because, for real, I'm super self-conscious about my writing, but I'm glad you're enjoying it!**


	9. Chapter 9

_He tosses his shirt towards the foot of my bed as I sit up to look at his back._

" _Oh my God," I say, my voice full of awe. "It's…incredible."_

I lightly touch his back, which has more ink than skin. There is a large cross aligned with his spine that has what looks like angel wings. The cross and wings are on fire, with the flames reaching up to his neck. At the small of his back, under the cross, in a little semi-circle, are the symbols of each of the groups at Factions: the joined hands for Abnegation, the burning fire of Dauntless, the scales designed for Candor, the eye symbolizing Erudite, the tree representing Amity. I look closer at the cross. It says _For Evelyn Johnson Eaton, a caring and brave mother. You'll never be forgotten_ in elegant writing. The fire rages around the cross and wraps around his entire back, carefully covering multiple scars, including the four long whip-marks.

"Tobias, this is truly amazing. It's beautiful."

He takes a deep breath. "I don't think my mother ever had a proper burial – if she did, I wasn't there. I don't have a place to see her, you know? She always used to tell me that when someone you love dies, they automatically become a guardian angel. The fire was Bud's idea because no amount of rage and pain can damage my memory of her. I wanted the symbols there because I want to be selfless like the Abnegation, brave like the Dauntless, honest like the Candor, intelligent like the Erudite, and kind like the Amity." He turns to face me. "Although I'm still working on the kind part," he finishes before he kisses me.

There is an unspoken hunger in this kiss and I feel it too. I snake my arms around his neck, running my hand through his short hair. His strong arms are around me and he's leaning over me, careful not to put his weight on me. He pulls away and starts kissing my neck when I whisper, "Tobias."

He pulls back. I gulp and say, "I-I don't want to go too fast." I look away from his gaze.

He kisses my forehead and rolls off of me. "I understand, Tris. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." I smile and curl up next to him and he wraps his arm around me carefully. I place my head on his bare chest – holy crap, his abs are freaking works of _art_ – so I can hear his heart beating. Our legs are tangled together, my feet coming up to his upper shin. We stay like that, listening to each other breathing. Within minutes, we both fall asleep.

XxX

A little while later, I wake up. My back is to Tobias's front, which immediately tells me that we're spooning. I close my eyes again and snuggle closer to him, his arm tightening reflexively around my middle. His breath tickles the back of my neck though, disabling me from falling back to sleep. I remain still because I don't want to wake him, but he begins to stir. I feel him kiss my shoulder – which is bare because I took off his sweatshirt when I was doing homework, so I'm just wearing the tank top – and I cautiously turn to face him.

He grins at me, holding me tight to his chest. "Hey there," he says casually.

I put my head at the crook of his neck. "Hi," I mumble.

We just lay there silently, his arms around me and my hands on his chest. He rests his chin on top of my head. Despite our drastic height difference, we fit together, like two matching puzzle pieces. I sigh, content. "What time is it?" I ask groggily.

"Only 12:45. We slept for a good two hours." I can feel him smile. I look up and our eyes meet. We just gaze at each other for a moment, memorizing each other. I notice how his nose hooks and how blue his eyes really are up close. His features are a contradiction, sharp but kind.

I gently pull away from him and get up. "Wanna watch a movie?" I offer. He smiles and nods as I go through my collection. "Have you ever seen _Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure_?" I ask.

"No. What's that?"

"Remarkably stupid and amusing."

"Okay. Let's watch it."

I smile. "It's like you can read my mind," I say as I pop in the disk.

I toss his t-shirt back to him as I crawl back into bed. "Chris may come in at any time, and I'm sure you don't want _her_ seeing you shirtless," I joke.

He rolls his eyes but puts his shirt back on.

We watch the movie and he's laughing a lot. Towards the end, when the jock says, "San Dimas High School football rules!" I sigh.

"What's wrong, Tris?" he asks, still chuckling.

"I just miss it."

"Miss what?"

"California. All of it, the weather, the people, the beach, even San Dimas."

"It's an actual city?"

I laugh. "Yeah. And there really is a waterpark there, only it's called 'Ragin' Waters' and it's super fun. Town's small, and the high school isn't the high school where this was filmed. But the Circle K is really there and you can get an extra-large Polar Pop there for only 97 cents."

"You're shitting me, right?"

I smirk. "No. It's true. We lived in Pasadena, which isn't too far from it, only like 30 minutes without traffic maybe."

"No kidding…" he muses.

"Nope. Not kidding."

"Huh." is all he says before we finish watching the movie. "You were right; it was stupid but amusing," he says smiling.

At that moment, the door swings open and Chris walks in, jumping onto her bed.

Tobias and I glance at each other. "Uh, Chris?" I ask. She grunts. "You okay?"

"Flag football," she says, turning her head. Then she notices that Tobias is with me. "Hey, Four. Have you guys been doing any math? Any multiplication or addition going on?"

"Christina!" I yell, throwing my pillow at her. She's laughing. "That was a terrible joke!" I say, blushing.

She giggles, proud of herself. "I'm going to Will's room then. So you guys can have some _privacy_ ," she gets up and wiggles her eyebrows at me before leaving. I groan.

To my surprise, Tobias starts laughing. Really hard. I look up at him incredulously.

"What? She's _your_ best friend," he says teasingly.

"I wouldn't talk about best friends, mister," I shoot back jokingly. "Yours threw us under the bus about kissing this morning."

We go back and forth, teasing each other before we realize that the cafeteria will be opening up for dinner soon. I grab his hand and lead him out of my room and we go to the dining hall, still smiling and making fun of each other. When we finally make it into the hall, the rest of the group is already there.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" I ask, sitting down between Uriah and Tobias.

"Hey, lovebirds," Uri says lightheartedly. "We're going to be playing a little bit of truth or dare later. You in?"

I glance at Tobias. "I'm in if she is," he says. I smile.

"Sure."

Uriah smiles mischievously. "Alright. We're meeting in the clearing in two hours. Oh, and Tris, since you've never played with us before, make sure you dress in layers tonight."

 **AND THE ANTICIPATION BEGINS! I'm not going to do individual shout-outs today, but thank you, everyone, for reading and leaving such sweet reviews. Oh, and all those random facts about** _ **Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure**_ **and San Dimas, CA are true, just saying. Oh, and if you have any suggestions for the truth and dare next chapter, leave me a review and you just** _ **might**_ **see it there! I hope everyone likes Tobias's tattoo!**


	10. Chapter 10

"I still don't understand why you're making me wear leggings under my jeans and three different shirts under Four's sweatshirt. It's not that cold, Chris," I complain, pushing up my sleeves as we walk to the tree line.

"Because if you refuse to tell the truth or do the dare, you have to take off an article of clothing, and, like a good friend, I don't want you to be completely naked," she says, hoisting her backpack up her shoulder.

"What's in there, anyways?"

"Things for dares," she answers vaguely.

We emerge from the trees and see Zeke, Shauna, Uriah and Four. Will and Marlene haven't showed up yet. "Christina! Did you bring everything?" Zeke calls.

She sits down on a cooler and dumps the contents of her backpack on the floor. "Two dozen eggs, peanut butter, jam, shampoo, my makeup bag, a towel, and toilet paper – just like you asked."

"Awesome. Will and Mar will be here in a few," he says. Just then, the last two of the group come in the clearing. "Already, everyone, circle up!" Zeke calls.

We all get in a circle. I sit next to Tobias and Christina. I glance around and notice how everybody is dressed in layers, just like how I am.

"I'll start!" Zeke announces.

"You always start!" Uriah complains.

"That's because I'm older, baby bro," he counters. "Hmmm… Christina. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," she says like it's obvious.

"Crack three eggs over your head."

"Screw you, Ezekiel Pedrad," she snarls as she unzips her sweatshirt, tossing it in the center of the circle. "Tris."

"Dare," I say, timidly.

"Sit in Four's lap for the next of the night."

I smirk. "Gladly," I say as I climb into his lap. Tobias wraps his arms around my waist, hugging me close. "Umm… Uriah!"

"Dare me, sistah."

I smile deviously. "Let Christina put makeup on you."

He bites his lip, hesitating. Finally, he tugs his sweatshirt off. "I have too much pride," he groans as he tosses it next to Chris's hoodie. "Shauna."

She pauses for only a second. "Dare."

"Eat a raw egg."

She wrinkles her nose. "Chris, toss me an egg, please." Christina hands Shauna the egg. Shauna swallows nervously before cracking the egg and gulping down the contents. She gags as Will tosses her a bottle of Dr. Pepper. She chugs half of that and smiles victoriously. "That was _disgusting_ ," she hisses, downing the last of her soda. She holds up four fingers.

"Truth," Tobias says, sounding bored.

" _Pansycake_ ," Uriah mumbles. I look questioningly at him. "It means sissy, wuss, those kind of things," he answers.

"And it's stupid," Christina chimes. Uriah flips her off, smiling. "Love you too, Uri!" she says in a sing-song voice.

"Anyways. Four. What's your real name?" Shauna asks.

I tense up as Four sighs. "Every freaking time," he mutters, taking off his jacket. "Zeke, my man, you know the question."

"Give me a dare, dude."

Four shrugs. "Lick Shauna's nose, I guess," he says, wrapping his strong arms around me again.

Zeke leans over to Shauna, kisses her cheek, and licks her nose. She laughs and shoves him off. "Marlene."

"Dare me."

"Seven minutes with Uri." She shrugs and grabs Uriah's hand, taking him past the trees. Shauna starts the clock and lays down, putting her head in Zeke's lap. Will grabs a water and hands one to Chris. She stretches her feet into the center of our semi-circle.

"Tris?" she asks me as she leans into Will's arms.

"Yeah?"

"Do you get the unit in history?"

"Yes, why? Need help?" I guess. She nods, hopelessly. I sigh. "Yeah, I'll help you tomorrow. You know, you should do your homework early in the weekend so that way you're not rushing at the last second."

"Oh, don't patronize me, Mom," she chastise jokingly, causing me to roll my eyes.

I take out my cell and start scrolling through my music library. Tobias looks over my shoulder. "Country?" he says, shocked.

"And Alternative. Actually, my music's pretty diverse," I say as I hand him my phone. "Here, take a look." He takes it, uncertain, and starts scrolling.

"You have _Panic! at the Disco_? I'm impressed," he jokes. Then, Shauna's phone chimes, signaling the end of the seven minutes.

"URIAH! MAR! Time's up!" Shauna yells. A minute later, they reemerge. Marlene's hair is a little frizzy and Uriah's buttons are in the wrong holes.

"Will?" Marlene says.

"Eh. Dare."

"Hmm. Name all seven dwarves from _Snow White_ in… 20 seconds!"

"And if I can't make that?"

"We'll burn that bridge when we get there. Shauna?" Shauna nods with her phone in her hand. "GO!"

"Um. Doc. Grumpy. Happy. Sleepy. Uh… Dopey… Sneezy. That's 1,2,3,4,5…6… crap… uh, um, ugh…oh! Bashful!" he finishes just before Shauna says, "Time!" Will makes a sigh of relief and puts his arm around Christina. "Tris, the question."

I bite my lip. "Truth."

"Who was your first kiss?"

I turn bright red and look down. I silently say my answer.

"Sorry, who?" Will asks.

"Four," I say louder. "Four was my first kiss." Everyone looks at me, shocked. "What?"

"How old are you?" Zeke asks.

"Sixteen."

"And you've never been kissed before today? Like _ever_?"

I shake my head and Tobias kisses my shoulder. I lean closer to him and rest my head on the crook of his neck. "Um. Shauna?"

"Truth, sweetie."

"Have you and Zeke done it?"

She smiles a little and blushes. "Yeah." Zeke narrows his eyes at me and puts his arm around her shoulders, protectively.

XxX

An hour later, we're all putting our missing clothing back on. Will has a hickey on his neck, Tobias is chewing gum to get the taste of bark out of his mouth, Shauna is still drying off from skinny dipping in the lake, Marlene's trying to get the raw egg out of her hair, Chris is still taking the rest of the makeup Zeke put on her off, Zeke is trying to get the peanut butter and jelly off his face and I'm attempting to take off all the toilet paper they put on me before drenching me in water and starting to feel the effects of the beer they had me try. I didn't care for it, but I drank the whole thing, and I don't like the way it's making me feel right now. Tobias comes over to me and takes my hand.

"You okay?" he asks.

I try to nod, but the action makes me dizzy. "I think," I slur. "Everything's blurry though."

He frowns. "You guys, I think we gave her too much for her first time. Get me three Gatorades." He picks me up, bridal style. I hadn't realized how unstable I was until I'm in his arms. "Meet me in your room, Chris. Bring fluids. Tris, try not to throw up yet, okay?" he murmurs, walking towards the dorms. The sway of him holding me isn't helping with my nausea.

"Four," I moan.

"Shh. I know, just a little while longer," he whispers soothingly. Within minutes, we're in my bathroom. I'm throwing up, but I'm too wasted to care that Tobias is with me. He hands me a cold towel and I put it on my forehead.

"C'mon," he says gently, helping me up. He leads me to my bed and Christina comes back in with different bottles. "Gatorade," he says. She tosses him one and he uncaps it, putting it to my lips. It tastes so much better than the beer. "Help her change. She may need to shower, but I don't think it's a good idea I help her with that. I'll wait outside," he says as he walks out of the door.

Chris takes me to the shower and turns it on cold. "I'm never drinking again," I mumble, causing her to smile, but I can tell that she, like Tobias, is worried about me. She has me sit in the tub in the freezing water, and it helps a little, before handing me my favorite pajamas. She lets me dress myself and helps me back to bed. She opens the door and Tobias walks back in. He lies next to me and kisses my forehead. I drink two Gatorades and one bottle of water before falling asleep with Tobias's arms around me. I wake up again when he gets up to leave, but I'm still to groggy to say goodbye.

 **So, unfortunately, this is my last update until Monday or Tuesday. Sorry, you guys, but there's nothing I can do about it. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter though. I know the truth or dare scene was a little short, but I promise there will be more!**

 **Guest: Thank you for the suggestion with the eggs. I would've never thought about that!**

 **TrisTobyUri: I hope this didn't disappoint.**

 **BooksLover2000: Here you go!**

 **Guest: I'm not really sure. I haven't really thought much about what grade Caleb is in, because he's not really in the story, you know? You have a valid point though, about him being smarter that Tris, and I said that her birthday was 5 months before the beginning of the semester, which is, say, September. So that makes her birth month April. In this story, Caleb's eight months older than her, so that makes him born in August, so yeah, I guess he is a senior, haha. Never really thought about it is all.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Sorry that I haven't been updating but it was a busy weekend, haha. I hope everyone enjoyed their Father's Day with their dads/kids. There is one thing I wanna address right now – yes, Tris know Tobias's real name. Someone asked me about that because I used "Four" a lot when Tris was thinking about him in the last chapter (ahem, thank you, TrisTobyUri, for bringing that to my attention). I was really tired and wasn't really paying attention to what I was saying *cringes*. Okay, without further ado –**

The sun wakes me up early Sunday morning. I feel a little nauseated and groan.

"Ah, the drunk is awake," Christina chimes as she throws me a Gatorade. It lands perfectly in my lap. I sit up and drink it.

"I wasn't _that_ drunk."

"Whatever, lightweight. I'm still surprised that one beer threw you over. How much do you weigh?"

I shoot her a dirty look. "Don't you know better than to ask a woman her weight?" I joke. She laughs and shrugs. "I think 1-oh-7."

"You only weigh 107 pounds?" she shrills. " _So_ unfair!"

"I'm also 5'2" and malnourished," I retort, throwing my pillow at her. She rolls her eyes and tosses it back. "I'm starved. What's something good to eat when you're hungover?"

She grins at me. "Oh sweetie, you aren't hungover."

"How do you know?"

"Because we've been having a full-blown conversation and you haven't told me once to shut the hell up because your head hurts. Nor have you complained that the sun's too bright."

"Then why do I still feel sick?"

"That I don't know. Maybe because your body knows you puked in front of Four?" she says it jokingly but I cringe.

"Don't remind me." I look away.

"Tris, you know I was kidding." I still don't look at her. "You wanna know what I think though?"

"What, Chris?"

"He really does care about you. He freaking got you away from us and he was here until he was sure you fell asleep and were okay. Furthermore, Will's never done that for me, and we've been dating for over a year. We're already in the 'I love you' phase in our romance. You and Four have been dating for like what? A day now? And BAM! he's taking care of you like you guys are an old married couple. I didn't even know he could be so sweet."

I blush and bury under my covers to hide it. "So, uh, enough about this romance stuff," I say, changing the subject. "You said you needed help in history last night?"

"Oh, right. Will's going to help me later today – Four told me last night that you two were going to hang out all day today anyways."

"We are? Did he mention what we're going to be doing?"

She shrugs. "Usually, I'd say that you're going to making out, but I know that neither of you are like that, so I honestly haven't the foggiest."

I sigh. "Can you do me a huge favor?"

"'Course."

"Choose my outfit."

I hear her squeal in excitement as she jumps up towards the closet. She starts throwing clothes around, looking for the "perfect" outfit. She hands me a pair of dark, high-waist skinny jeans and a red flannel. "Put on the jeans and a bandeau but I'm placing your flannel," she instructs. I give her a sarcastic salute and walk into our bathroom.

I cautiously look at the mirror and am surprised. I can't possibly look _that_ bad, can I?

Just in case, I jump in the shower and allow the warm water to wash last night's events away. I vaguely remember Chris helping me shower last night, but this is far more effective as well as relaxing. _What on earth are Tobias and I going to do today?_ The question nags me as I put on my jeans and the unholy love child of a bra and crop-top. I scowl at my lack of curves and development. Peter was right the night he attacked me – I _don't_ look like an average 16 year old girl.

"Tris? You done yet?" Chris calls from the other side of the door. I shake my head aggressively, clearing my mind. I open the door. "Oh, good, you showered. Okay, put this on but don't button it," she says, handing me the flannel. I do as she told me. She frowns and ties the bottom of the flannel. "Now you may button. But let the bandeau show." I raise my eyebrows and sigh, buttoning up.

"I feel like I look ridiculous."

"You don't. You look cute."

"Your cute and my cute are very different," I grumble under my breath. She doesn't pay any attention to me as she digs through the closet again.

"Here," she says as she tosses me a black beanie. "Aha! Here we go!" She reemerges holding a pair of lace-up boots. "Put these on. Just brush your hair, put in my leave-in shampoo with a little bit of leave-in conditioner, maybe with a little bit of moose, shake your hair until it's loose and let it air-dry with the beanie. Your hair has this pretty natural bounce to it, so it'll look really casual but cute." I look at her with a blank stare. "On second thought, follow me," she continues laughing. She puts all these different products in my hair and carefully places the beanie. She puts a little bit of eyeshadow and eyeliner on me, only to bring out my eyes, and this thing she calls a chubbystick – "Lipstick, chapstick, and lip gloss in one! What more could you need for your lips?" – on my lips for some "much needed" color. When she does the finishing touches, "Finished!" she yells and smiles triumphantly. "And look, it's only 9:45! Plenty of time left for the guys." She laughs.

I smile and stretch. "Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you and Will had sex?"

She blushes a little. "Not yet. I told him when we started dating that I wanted to wait for three years before going that far. That way you know the person you're with and that way we're both 18, so it's legal. Why?"

It's my turn to blush. "I'm a little nervous about… sex because To-Four's older, you know?" _Shit!_ I hope to God she doesn't notice my slip-of-the-tongue, so I quickly add, "Like I don't think he'll try _today_ but… I don't know. I think he might try later and I'll panic or something…" I trail off.

Luckily, she doesn't seem to notice my tongue-slip. "You forgot something though. You're his first real girlfriend – he may be older but he's clueless. I'm willing to bet that he's nervous about having sex, too. Also, I'm sure if you _talk_ to him, he'll listen. Communication is key in any relationship. He cares about you too much to push you into anything you don't wanna do, you know?" I nod, considering what she's saying. "Alright, now stop lolly-gagging – go see him. And talk to him if you feel like you need to, okay?" I nod. "Good. See ya, Tris."

"Bye, Christina," I say, waving to her, as I walk out the door. I walk through the halls, effortlessly, to Tobias's bedroom. I pause, hesitating, before finally knocking on the door.

 **I just wanted a Chris-Tris bonding chapter. Very little bonding happening, but a little bit of a heart-to-heart. I don't know. I'm exhausted, haha**

 **Fun fact: Clinique actually does have a chubbystick lip balm, and it is freaking amazing. It is a little pricey, but it lasts practically all day. I say practically because I don't know how long it actually lasts because it comes off when I eat and I eat pretty frequently throughout the day. Even then, although the color fades a little, it's still there. I freaking love that stuff. Oh, and there is also a chubbystick eye shadow thing and it's hella cool.**

 **Thank you everyone for reading and keep leaving me reviews! Let me know if you're liking the story or if you hate it (I'm sorry, please tell me what you hate and I'll try to fix it, unless I love it, then I'll burn that bridge when I get there) and give me suggestions – I love suggestions – and let me know how I'm doing, please, I'm begging you!**

 **Goodnight everyone! Or good morning, depending on which time-zone you're in, or what time you get the notification for the update. Well, crap. Oh, well.**

 **Good morning.**

 **Good day.**

 **Good afternoon.**

 **Good evening.**

 **Goodnight.**

 **There, that way I get everyone! :D Does anyone else wonder why "good morning", "good afternoon", and "good evening" are two words but "goodnight" is one? How does that make sense? Huh. *Frowns, thinking-ly***


	12. Chapter 12

**So thank you, everyone, for tolerating my sleep-deprived talk in last chapter's AN. I'm kinda embarrassed, but, hey, it's whatever, right? Haha. Thank you for reading the story and following it – this has over 5,800 views! Like, what? I'm super stoked. But also super nervous, haha.**

 _I walk through the halls, effortlessly, to Tobias's bedroom. I pause, hesitating, before finally knocking on the door._

I hear the sound of something falling on the other side of the door – a book? – before Tobias opens the door. His short hair is a mess and he's only wearing gym sorts. He looks at me, up and down and I smile.

"Hey."

"Good morning," he replies, running his hand through his hair nervously. He steps to the side and I walk through the door. Inside, the room is still dark. "Sorry," he says cautiously, "I wasn't expecting you to be awake so early after last night." He stifles a yawn. He lies back down on his bed and I walk over to him.

"Where's Zeke?" I ask as I unlace the boots, cursing Christina for not letting me wear my Converse.

"I don't know. Probably with Shauna. He came in for a couple of hours to sleep before showering and leaving. He only spends a couple of hours in here, usually. It's nice though – it's like not having a roommate, especially when a beautiful girl comes to see me." I smile and playfully shove his shoulder. He laughs before grabbing my waist, tugging me closer to him. He leans himself over me, carefully, and traps me. I try to get away, but he starts tickling me. I start giggling as he pokes my sides, trying to shove him off, but he's too strong. He puts both of my hands in one on his – why did God make me so damn tiny? – and pins my legs so I can't kick him. But I have one defense mechanism left.

I sit up against him and crash my lips into his. He wasn't expecting that and he's surprised at first. Then he abandons his mission of tickling me to death and wraps his free arm around me as his other hand slides down my arm, over my ribcage, around my hip, pulling me closer to him. My legs are still trapped underneath him, but he still has his weight distributed so I can't feel it on me, just the feeling of his body against mine.

He rolls off of me, groaning. "Sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" I ask, confused.

"We agreed we'd take it slow…," he mumbles, his cheeks reddening.

I allow myself to smile in relief. _That answers that question,_ I think. I snuggle closer to him, brushing my lips against his cheek. "Thank you."

He smiles at me and gets up. "I'm going to get ready," he says as he walks over to his dresser and then to his bathroom. I lie back against his pillows and doze off to the sound of his shower starting.

 **I know this is a super short chapter, but I'm tired, so I'm really sorry, but I'll try to make tomorrow's update longer, okay?**

 **BooksLover2000: Haha, I'm glad my crazy-talk amused you :P**

 **Brave and Selfless: Yay, I'm really happy you're enjoying the story!**

 **Again, I'm sorry!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everybody. I am so super sorry about not updating but I found this amazing fanfic that was a little longer than I had anticipated, and I just couldn't put it down. But I promise, this will be longer, as promised in the last chapter.**

"Tris, wake up," a voice murmurs, pulling me out of sleep. I groan, snuggling deeper into my bed.

"Go away, Caleb. Ten more minutes," I complain.

The speaker gives a throaty laugh. "I would if I was Caleb."

I open my eyes. I'm not at home. I'm in Tobias's room. And I just called him my brother. "Oh my God, Tobias, I'm so sorry. I don't know why but I thought you were my brother for some incredulous reason and he always used to wake me up in the mornings and why are you laughing at me?"

He tries to stop laughing – and fails – and says, "I know Caleb is your brother, Tris. I have Government with him."

I sit up and place the beanie back on my head. "Oh," is all I can say. I stretch and look at him. His hair is still damp, water dripping onto his dark t-shirt.

He sits down in front of me, taking my hands in his. He laces our fingers together and rubs his thumb over my knuckles. We sit like this for a moment.

"Tobias?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"What are we going to do today?"

He sighs. "Honestly, I don't know. Whatever you want to do."

I smile and give his hand a little squeeze. "Well, I'm kinda hungry. Wanna get food?"

He grins. "How about a picnic, then?"

XxX

Half an hour later, Tobias and I walk hand-in-hand towards a large oak tree near the lake. I have all the foods and snacks we could think to raid from the kitchen, including a couple of slices of chocolate cake. He lays out a large blanket and we sit down, across from each other. I slide my bag between us, taking everything out. We eat our feast, making small talk, until we're both full. He collects our trash and puts it in a small plastic bag, putting it off to the side. I scoot next to him and put my head on his shoulder as he drapes his arm around my shoulders. I feel so tiny next to him.

"Tris?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," I say teasingly. He looks at me, feigning shock. I smirk at him and his face crumbles into a small smile.

"You know what I mean, Tris," he counters, putting a sourness in his voice that doesn't meet his eyes.

I smile. "Yeah, what's up?"

"What's your real name?" I glance at him, confused. "You haven't told any of us, and I'm sure 'Tris' is just a nickname. I'm just curious."

I shake my head. "No, it's not that. It's not some big secret – Christina knows and I figured that she would've spilled by now." I laugh nervously. "My full name is Beatrice Edith Prior," I say cringing.

"Ah," is all he says. I can tell he doesn't know what else to say.

"I was named 'Beatrice' after my grandmother on my mom's side. I was given the middle name 'Edith' because it's some family name on my father's side, passed down from generation to generation."

He smiles. "That's cool."

I wrinkle my nose. "I guess, but it sucks, growing up with a name belonging to the late eighteenth century without a cool, mysterious nickname," I wink, "and it's awesome that my mom homeschooled Caleb and me. I can't even begin to imagine the bullying."

He laughs a deep, throaty laugh. "I think you forgot that I didn't get the nickname until freshman year. Besides, the bullying wasn't _that_ bad because everyone knew who Marcus was to me, and, for _some_ reason, no one wants to irritate the politician by picking on his son. Even if said politician didn't particularly give a fuck about his only son." He tries to laugh it off, but I know he's uncomfortable talking about Eaton. I lean into him and rest my head in the crook of his neck. I shut my eyes, breathing him in.

We stay like that until I feel him trying to suppress a laugh. "What?" I sit up and look at him. He grins mischievously to me.

"Just saw something," he replies ambiguously. I strain my eyes, trying to see what made him laugh. I gasp when I realize who he was staring at, a smile playing on my lips.

Drew's face is swollen and has a variety of hues of purple. His lip is split and he has a nasty cut over his eye. He walks after Peter and Molly, Peter's girlfriend, and keeps his eyes down. I glance at Tobias and he wears a smile that screams satisfaction.

"You did that?" I ask, trying to conceal "impressive" from my tone.

Tobias makes a face at me and says, "Amar taught me well." I look at him, prompting him to continue. "He used to box and take karate lessons when he was younger – like, in his early twenties or something. He even taught younger kids how to fight for a year or two."

I allow this to sink in. "Tobias?" He looks at me expectantly. "Could you teach me how to fight?"

His eyes widen; he wasn't expecting that. "You-you want _me_ to teach you how to _fight_?" I nod patiently. "Can I ask _why_?"

I bite my lip, hesitant. "Obviously, you know how to kick ass, and I think if I knew how to fight properly, instead of the self-taught stuff I got off YouTube, I'd be able to defend myself in case something were to happen – like Peter coming after me again. And I trust you more than anyone, especially with this." As I'm explaining my reasoning, his arm tightens around me. He stays silent, and I can see the wheels turning in his head, how calculating he is, deciding, and going through the pros and cons. I stay quiet, allowing him to make up his mind.

Finally, after a couple of minutes, he sighs. "Okay," he mumbles. I smile. "But –" my smile falls "– not today. I need to talk to Amar and see if he's cool with me using the gym for helping you. I don't see why he wouldn't, but I still need to ask." I smile slightly.

"Thank you, Tobias."

He clenches his teeth – just for a second – looks away from me, and says, "I don't want to hurt you, Tris."

I take his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. "Hey. It's going to be okay. I trust you. Besides, I'm a big girl and I can handle whatever you throw at me."

"But –" he begins, but I put a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"It's going to be fine, babe," I say with finality. He kisses my finger and takes my hand. I lean forward and peck his lips gently.

"Beatrice?" someone asks, shocked. I cringe, for I know that voice all too well.

Caleb.

XxX

"Wh-what the hell?" he asks, stunned. Had this been another time, his face would have been freaking hilarious, but not when he's just seen me kiss my boyfriend.

"Uh, hey, bro," I say nonchalantly. "Long time, no see. How're you?"

My brother opens his mouth as if to say something, but no words come out. I close my eyes and sigh through my nose. I pat a spot next to me on the blanket, indicating that he should sit down. He listens and glances between me and Tobias.

I bite my lip. "Caleb, this is Four. Four, this is my brother, Caleb, but you both already know each other." Tobias gives my hand a squeeze as Caleb just gapes at us stupidly.

"Nice to see you again, Caleb," Tobias says in his deep voice. When Caleb doesn't say anything, I shove his shoulder.

He snaps out of his traumatic state and narrows his eyes at Tobias. "Would've been able to say the same, Four, had you not had your tongue down my sister's throat."

I shove him again, harder. "Drama queen," I try to joke, "it was just a peck, and you know it." Unfortunately, the joking tone doesn't diffuse the situation.

"How old are you again, Four?" Caleb nearly demands, ignoring me.

Tobias sits up straighter. "Eighteen."

"Oh. Don't you think you're a little old to be dating my little sister?" Caleb's words are venomous.

Tobias narrows his eyes, becoming as emotionless and intimidating as he was the first day I met him. Only Caleb's not as tough as I am when it comes to a death glare and he cowers a little. "She isn't your _little_ anything," he whispers. His words almost sound deadly.

"Boys," I say. Both look at me. "Caleb, look, we'll talk about this later, but do _not_ tell Mom and Dad – it's my place to tell them when they come next weekend for Visiting Day, al _right_? Until I talk to them about this, keep your mouth _shut_ ," I say slowly, making sure he understands completely that I'm not joking. He opens his mouth to object, but I cut him off. "I'll talk to you about this later this week. I'll find you, okay?" He mumbles something that sounds like "okay" back. "Good. See you later," I say, with a look telling him he needs to leave.

He gets up, glares at Tobias – who glares back – and leaves.

As soon as he's out of earshot, I put my head in my hands and groan. Tobias rubs my back. "You okay?" he asks. I shrug. "No offense, but he's kind of a jerk." I laugh.

"No kidding. But he thinks he has this 'big brother duty', and I mean that in both the _1984_ novel way and the he's-my-big-brother-and-thinks-he-needs-to-protect-me-despite-the-fact-that-I-can-kick-his-ass way."

He gives a rascally grin. "I can take him easily, then."

I shake my head. "Nope." He gives me a confused look. "You'd probably kill him after the first hit." He smirks. I crack my neck and say, "C'mon. Let's get out of here."

 **Alrighty, that's all I got you guys, sorry! But I really hope this makes up for 1) the abnormally short chapter and 2) my two-day absence.**

 **Also, in case you don't know,** _ **1984**_ **is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell. In this particular novel, the government – known as "Big Brother" – is all-seeing and all-knowing. It's a really good book, but really, really,** _ **really, really, REALLY**_ **dry. My suggestion is to read it through SparkNotes, which is incredibly accurate. Like, way more accurate than Wikipedia, IMHO.**

 **Please, please,** _ **please**_ **keep leaving me reviews. I really enjoy reading them and they help me know if I'm doing something right, wrong, or average. I really hope everyone's enjoying their weekend!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! Thank you all so much, again, for reading and following and reviewing and everything in between! I cannot convey how amazing this is for me, especially cause this story has over 7,800 views and nearly 2,000 viewers – like how is this happening to me? How did I become so freaking lucky? Anyhow, here's the next chapter.**

I land on the mat, hard on my back. Again. "Oof!" I say as the air is knocked out of my lungs.

"You okay?" Tobias asks me, offering his hand to me. I accept it and nod. He tries to smile at me. "You almost had me that time."

"That's…cause…you weren't…paying atten…tion," I wheeze, putting my hands on my knees. He rubs my back and says, "Maybe we should stop for tonight."

"No," I say defiantly, finally catching my breath. "Just one more time." He sighs and nods.

It's Wednesday in the evening, and Tobias has been teaching me self-defense for the last three days.

During class on Monday, Tobias took me to talk to Amar after the class was dismissed to do whatever physical activity they wanted.

"Amar," Tobias said, "we need to talk to you. Privately."

Our teacher nodded and led us to his office. It's next to the stands and holds the sound systems for rallies and basketball games and whatever else is held in the gym. "What's up, you guys?" asked Amar.

I bit my lip as Tobias answered. "Hypothetically, if there was an attack on one student by another, and you were informed, would you have to report it?"

Amar narrowed his eyes at us, taking in my healing bruises and Tobias's split lip. "Does this have anything to do with Drew's appearance this morning, Four?"

The corners of Tobias's lips twitched. "I don't know what you mean, sir," he said innocently.

"Don't act like you didn't to that, Four. I know your fighting style and the injuries that come with it. But for the sake of you _not_ getting suspended, I will hold my tongue. But, hypothetically, if I was aware – with proof, or a victim – of a student attacking another, yes, I would have to report it."

Tobias nodded and considered this. "Okay. Well, I have several favors to ask of you, Amar." Amar nodded, prompting him to continue. "First, I'd like to be the one to help Tris in class from now on due to something that happened this weekend that may or may not have something to do with Drew's appearance today. Second, I was wondering if she and I could come in here in the evenings for some self-defense classes, like sophomore year."

Amar looked between us and sighed. "I guess I kind of know what happened over the weekend, but I'll pretend I don't. Four, you may help Tris in class from here on out, but I don't know if I'll be able to train her after school."

I leaned forward in my chair. "What if Four trained me?"

Amar frowned. "Can you think why I might be a little hesitant in allowing you two to have the entire gym to yourselves at night?"

I felt my cheeks turn red as Tobias stiffened. "Yes, we do," I said, "but this is strictly for teaching me how to defend myself. I just trust Four to train me and I would hate to inconvenience you."

Amar thought for a long time before agreeing, only if we'd agree to allow him to come and go whenever, without announcing when he would show, and to several other ground rules. Tobias and I accepted the terms and conditions.

Amar came that first evening and helped out a little, but soon realized that Tobias and I well together. He came for an hour on Tuesday and played on his phone, mostly. Tonight, though, he hasn't come.

I rub my eyes, exhaustion washing over me. Tobias and I are planning on getting some desserts from the cafeteria after this, so I try to hide my tiredness. "I'm going to go get cleaned up," I say. I kiss his cheek gently and walk into the girl's locker room. I grab fresh clothes out of my backpack and head towards the showers. I allow the warm water engulf me as I think back to my conversation with my brother.

Earlier today, I found myself pounding on Caleb's door. Fernando opened it. He's really nice but a bit reserved. He sits in front of me in history. "Tris, nice to see you. How can I help you?"

"Is my brother around, Fernando? I need to talk to him." As soon as the words left my mouth, Caleb appeared. "Hey brosky. How's it going?" I said casually.

"I'll see you later, Fernando," Caleb said, showing no emotion in his words. He shut the door behind him and we walked over to a picnic table.

"I don't like you being with Four, Beatrice. He's bad news. When did you get together, anyways?" he demanded.

I sighed. "Firstly, I don't care if you like me being with Four, Caleb, and he's been through a lot of shit. He puts up a lot of barriers, but that doesn't make him 'bad news'. Secondly, we got together Saturday morning and we spent all weekend together."

"How?" he growled.

I rolled my eyes. "You cannot say anything to anyone about this. Do you swear?"

"Why is it such a big secret?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Because it is, Caleb. Do you swear that you won't tell anyone?"

He groaned but replied, "I'll take it to the grave."

"Now you cannot speak until I finish, okay?" He nodded. "I went to a party on Friday – you said you won't interrupt, so shut it, Caleb – and I was kidnapped by Peter Haynes and his friend Drew. I think they were going to rape me, but Four came in and saved me – don't be giving me that face. He took me back to his dorm – oh my God, calm down; nothing happened – and we just started talking, and I realized that I really liked him. Saturday morning, after breakfast, we hung out and talked more and he kissed me and we got together. We chilled out and watched movies in my room – calm yourself – and then yesterday we just hung out and now he's teaching me self-defense, should Peter come after me again. I'm a big girl, Caleb, I don't need my big brother protecting me anymore. Besides, I don't need said big brother's protection because Four won't do anything to hurt me. Okay?"

He sighed and reluctantly agreed, or the I'm-not-supportive-of-the-situation-but-I-know-I-can't-change-it equivalent of agreement.

When I showed up for defense practice, Tobias and Caleb were on the mat already. Tobias had a football dummy – the ones they use for tackling practice – and he was demonstrating different attack positions. Caleb, always an eager learner, watched his every move carefully. When he noticed I was in the room, he looked at me with curiosity burning in his eyes. "Is your boyfriend some kind of Dauntless prodigy?" he had asked me.

I laughed. "Yeah, you can say that." After my brother left, I turned to Tobias. "What was all that about?"

He shrugged. "He came in here all like, 'Don't you dare hurt my baby sister!' and I showed him the bruise you gave me yesterday and what I've been teaching you. Now I think he knows I mean business." He put his hands on my hips, holding me close to him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, but I pulled away after a moment.

I smile at the memory as I turn off the water and towel dry. I change into Tobias's hoodie and a pair of jeans. October starts next week, and it's already unseasonable cold. I brush my damp hair and leave it down. It should dry within the next few minutes, anyways.

I'm about to leave the locker room when, out of nowhere, something blunt hits me in the back of the head, hard, sending me crashing to the ground.

 **Alright, that's all I got so far. Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I'm tired and don't feel like adding the next scene.**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed it! Please keep leaving me reviews, letting me know how I'm doing! Thank you, again, everyone! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

_I'm about to leave the locker room when, out of nowhere, something blunt hits me in the back of the head, hard, sending me crashing to the ground._

I scream as I hit the ground, but I allow the momentum of the fall to continue, so I roll until I'm in a crouching position. I look up to see my attacker, expecting Peter.

It's Molly.

She has a bit of a masculine figure to her, so it's shocking that she and Peter are even dating. But, I can imagine that's why she's here.

"Can I help you?" I tauntingly say. She doesn't say anything at first, just stares at me.

"You. You're the reason why Peter and Drew are hurt," she growls. Oh _brother_.

"Really? That's why you tried knocking me out? Besides, it wasn't _my_ fault – they tried to freaking rape me –"

"LIAR!" she screams as she charges at me, but I was ready for her.

I leap to the side gracefully as she surges past me. But she gains her footing quickly and grabs my arm. She slaps me across the face, and I fall. She shifts her weight – probably to kick me – but I roll away from her and kick her legs out from under her, just like Tobias did with me 20 minutes ago.

Molly falls and hits her head on the concrete floor, but gets up, her hands balling into fists. She starts hitting me – or trying to because I'm dodging and blocking her punches with ease. I can hear Tobias's voice, instructing me what to do, how do avoid contact. Right now, she over-calculates her punch and doesn't recover quickly enough, giving me the opening I need. " _Give two swift, consecutive punches with your left hand in the gut – that's enough to distract your attacker. Follow those quickly with a hard right hook, right to the temple. If you do it hard enough, you'll knock them out,"_ Tobias's voice echoes through my mind. He told me that just yesterday. I deliver two punches to Molly's abdomen quickly. She doubles over, trying to cover her stomach but leaves her face wide open, allowing me to drive in the final punch to her temple. She falls, unconscious.

I run my fingers through my hair and can taste my blood. I hear the locker room doors slam open and the sound of someone running. "Tris!" calls out a deep voice, one I recognize as easily as my own.

"In here," I croak, stunned of what I've done. I'm still staring at Molly as Tobias runs in the locker room. He glances between her limp body and me. He walks around her carefully and wraps his arms around me.

"Are you okay?" he asks, concern soaking his words. I nod against his chest. "What happened?"

I pull away. "She came in here and hit me in the back of the head, probably trying to knock me out. When I was stable, I asked her if I could help her and she started blaming me for what happened to Drew and Peter. I told her what they tried to do and she called me a liar before coming after me. We fought, but I used the moves we've been going over and I was able to knock her unconscious." He looks down. "Tobias, you okay?"

He shakes his head. "I tried to come in here when I heard your scream, but when I turned around, Drew – who apparently was better – and Peter where blocking the door. They came after me, which was stupid of them when I've already beaten them once, and now they're out cold in the boy's locker room. However, I didn't leave any improvements to their unfortunate appearances like last time." He gives me a small smile. I can't bring myself to return it. "Tris? You know we have to report these this time." I reluctantly nod, knowing that he's right. He takes my hand and guides me out of the gym, leaving our attackers behind.

XxX

It's only 6 in the morning, and Tobias and I are sitting in the Dean of Discipline, Johanna Reyes. My leg is bouncing up and down at an unstoppable pace as Tobias and I explain what happened Friday – leaving out the party details – and last night. She listens patiently, but shows no facial expressions. When we finish explaining to her, she thinks for a moment.

"Well," she starts, "I'm very disappointed that any tension between you two and the three students in the hospital wing turned into numerous physical altercations. However, neither one of you seem to have started either of these fights, therefore, I will not suspend you." I breathe out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "However, there will still be consequences. These bouts will not go on your records, but only if you each serve five detentions, which is quite gracious." I see Tobias nod out of the corner of my eye, so I nod as well. "Very well. You will begin to serve detentions with Amar starting today after school. And you are expected to attend your classes, despite what has happened last night. Understood?" We both nod again. "Good. Now you may leave for your classes."

Tobias and I get up and leave the office hurriedly. We still have twenty minutes to kill before school starts, so we sit in the quad. Hardly anyone is here because almost everyone sleeps in until right before classes start, much like college. We sit next to each other on a picnic table as close together as we can. He wordlessly drapes his arm around my shoulders as I lean into him. We stay like that, without speaking, for a while. "So, I think she doesn't totally disagree with our actions since all we get is detention with Amar. That's practically the best punishment we can get," he says.

"How so?" I ask, allowing myself to smile.

"Because it's only an hour, Amar is super chill, and all we do is pick up the trash in the gym. Hell, I'll be willing to bet that he'll even allow us to train."

"How do you know all that?"

He bites his lip. "Zeke and I got busted for sneaking around campus after curfew during our sophomore year. Two detentions," he says as he holds up two fingers. I roll my eyes and lean closer to him.

The fog is low and dense this morning, signaling that fall has arrived in Chicago. It's a damp chill, which makes the weather feel cooler than it actually is. I'm almost always freezing, especially during this time of year, but Tobias doesn't mind warming me up, like now, how his arm tightens around me and his free hand taking both of mine. We stay like that until the bell rings. We both get up and head over to the science building, ready for whatever the day can throw at us.

 **Yay, happy ending for this chapter, don't ya think? Don't worry, though, more drama to come… as soon as I figure out how to write it, hahahaha. Thank you to each and every one of you for reading the story, it means a lot! Please keep up the reviews, let me know what you think. Even if you think this is absolute shit, let me know.**

 **Again, thank you!**


	16. Chapter 16

I walk into the gym after final bell has rung with my earphones in, drowning out the sounds of the world around me to the sounds of _Hallelujah_ by Panic!I can't really explain it, but it makes me feel better for what I did to Molly. I go over to Amar's office and see that Tobias is already in there, talking to Amar. I open the door and they both look at me.

"Hey, Tris!" Amar bellows kindheartedly.

"Hi," I respond. I go up on my tip toes and kiss Tobias on the cheek. "Hey, Four."

"Hey," he says, smiling. "How was school?"

" _So_ much more enjoyable without Peter, Drew and Molly." He chuckles.

"You kids want anything to drink?"

"Um, what do you have?" I ask politely.

Amar starts rattling off all the different kinds of sodas he has, including Cherry Cola, Vanilla Dr. Pepper, Orange Sprite, and everything in between.

"I'll take a Cherry Dr. Pepper please," I say. He tosses one to me and I catch it with ease.

"Four, the usual for you?"

"Yeah." Amar tosses Tobias a large can of Arizona sweet tea. I make a face. "What?" he asks, smirking.

"Nothing. You just don't strike me as the sweet tea kind of person, is all," I respond. He rolls his eyes playfully. "So, Amar, what are we going to do today?"

"You guys won't be doing anything. Lauren and I already cleared the stands today and the Winter Guard is having try outs today, and, believe me, you do _not_ want to interrupt the Winter Guard."

I look at him, quizzically. "What's the Winter Guard? And why are they holding try outs in September? That's not winter."

Amar shrugs. "Those girls are like a cult of colorful flags and some type of fake weaponry. I've learned not to question it." With that, he leaves his office, probably to get ready for the Winter Guard.

I sit down in one of the chairs across from Amar's chair and get my homework out. Tobias sits down next to me. "Tris?"

"Hm?"

"Could you help me with the Spanish homework?"

" _Claro_ ," I say. He looks at me, expressing zero emotion. I sigh. "Of course."

We both get out our textbooks and spend the next hour going over the subjunctive tenses and their uses. A couple of times, a girl in gym shorts and a tank top will come into the office and mess with the sounds system. I glance wistfully at the fifteen teenage girls, each with a flag, gun, or sword in her hand. They're spinning in time for the most part – there are several times where there's a girl who is late. I find myself thinking how beautiful the organization of it is until Tobias brings my attention back to our homework.

"You should've tried out," he says out of nowhere.

"What?" I question, surprised.

"You should've tried out for the Winter Guard." I make a face. "Don't make that face, I see you watching them."

I shake my head. "Too difficult. Besides, I have enough on my plate with school." He shrugs and we both turn back to our work.

XxX **To any male readers, I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to you, haha.**

I slide in next to Christina at lunch on Friday. "Hey, girlie," she says cheerfully. I nod in return.

"Wow, someone's grumpy," Uriah chimes in, receiving my middle finger as I lay my head down on the table, groaning. I can tell everyone is shocked since I haven't flipped any of them off before.

Chris leans down to my ear. "Cramps?"

"You have not freaking idea," I crumble. She tugs at my hand.

"We'll be back," she says.

She guides me to our dorm room and I collapse on my bed. "It's usually only bad for a couple of hours, but they're _bad_. I should be okay by the end of the day, but I feel like sh – "

"Here," she says, tossing me a pill bottle.

I glance at it as she starts fumbling through her drawers. "What's this?"

"My mom's secret period medication. I get really bad cramps too, and she's a pharmacist. She was able to mix a couple of pain killers and bloating preventers – without it being deadly, of course – and make them into one pill. She says that you should always eat it with chocolate, to feel better. I swear by it." **I don't know if this can actually happen, but for the helluvit, we'll say it's possible, okay? Okay.**

I'm still a little hesitant but take her pill and a handful of M&Ms. Instantly, I feel better.

"Woah! That's amazing!" I say.

She laughs. "Right? And now you'll be okay enough for Truth or Dare tonight."

I frown. "Again?"

She grins like a little kid. "Yeah. We would've done it tomorrow, but it _is_ Visiting Day, and that in itself is draining." The bell rings, interrupting her. "C'mon. Let's go," she sings, grabbing my hand, leading me off to our next class.

 **Suggestions on T or D are appreciated – you'll probably see it next chapter, but as long as it's PG-13 rated. Thank you, everyone for being supportive and I hope your day is as awesome as you! :D Love you all!**


	17. Chapter 17

I walk towards the clearing with my earphones jammed in. I'm enjoying these few (and rare) moments where I am by myself and with my music. Christina wanted to hang out with Will before going to play truth or dare tonight, which is understandable, and Tobias had to help Zeke with something, leaving me to find my way to the clearing by my lonesome at dusk. Not that I really mind.

I reach the tree line and take a deep breath, walking towards the clearing. I'm the first to arrive, so I rearrange the coolers into a makeshift bed. I lie down and turn up my music, allowing it to push everything out of my mind.

I remain still for about four songs when I feel like someone else is in the clearing with me. I cautiously open my eyes and see Shauna sitting next to the fire pit. I turn off my music, get up and sit next to her. "Hey, Shauna."

She gives me a small, half-hearted smile. "Hey, Tris. How're you?"

"Fine. You?"

She shrugs. "I'm okay, I guess."

"Don't sound so convincing."

She sighs and her eyes start to water. "I'm failing stats, and I know my parents are going to bring it up tomorrow when they come and they'll make a big deal over it and it'll leave me feeling depressed and I just don't want to deal with it."

I ponder this silently. "Just tell them you're getting tutoring."

She scoffs at the idea. "Right," she says sarcastically. "I've already tried talking to the teacher, but she just explains the lessons the same exact way she does in class and it doesn't work for me once, you know? Even if I lied to my parents, how would I be able to explain the fact that I fail the class at the end of the semester? I'm doomed!" She puts her head on her hands in frustration.

"Shauna?" She doesn't look at me. "Shauna," I say with more persistence. She sighs hopelessly and looks up at me. "If you'd like, I can tutor you."

She raises her eyebrows in surprise. "You're in stats?"

I nod. "My mom started teaching me more advanced math courses in the eighth grade. She taught my brother and me black jack for both statistics and people skills. I have a decent A right now."

Her eyes start watering. "Oh my God, Tris, are you sure?" I grin and nod. "Oh my God, thank you thank you thank you!" she yells tackling me into a hug. I laugh and hug her back.

"Mind if we join?" a joking voice calls out. Shauna pulls back and gets up to kiss Zeke as Tobias comes over to sit next to me.

"Tris offered to help me in stats!" she states excitedly.

Zeke raises his eyebrows at me. "What?" I ask. "I'm good at math."

"And Spanish," Tobias chimes in. "And Chemistry. And everything else."

I shove him with my shoulder playfully. "Oh please. Not _everything_." I laugh.

Within 15 minutes everyone else has shown up. Zeke and Uriah are bickering – again – about who'll start first. Zeke wins out – "I got here first!" – and carefully selects his first victim.

"Shauna, babe, truth or dare?"

"Dare me, sexy."

"I dare you to climb a tree and dangle upside down."

She rolls her eyes and says, "Let's move closer to a tree." She selects a tree with a low branch and ties up her hair. She climbs up the tree and dangles from her legs, the end of her ponytail nearly brushing the ground.

"Uri," she says.

"Dare."

"Let your brother dye your hair pink."

"Hell no," Uriah says, taking off his jacket. "Any color but pink." He smiles mischievously.

"Chrissy."

"I will punch you in the fucking throat if you call me that again. Dare."

"Since you call it stupid – and you just threatened me – I dare you to scream 'Pansycakes don't eat Dauntless cakes' – "

"Done."

"While running around the campus in nothing but your bra and undies."

She narrows her eyes and takes off her hoodie. "Perv," she mumbles, causing Uri to cackle.

"Mar."

"Truth."

Chris smiles. "Worst thing about being a girl."

Marlene pauses, thinking about her answer. "Can I choose two?" Christina shrugs. "Child-birth and periods." All the boys groan as all of us girls giggle at the truth behind it.

"Okay, I'm getting dizzy. Can I go up right now?" Shauna complains.

"Shit, sorry babe. I was waiting for your shirt to come up. Go ahead," Zeke grins lightheartedly. Shauna flips down with ease. Everyone else ignores it, but I'm mesmerized by her ease.

She notices. "I was in gymnastics for eleven years, but I quit two years ago so I could join the Winter Guard and other things. Dropped out this year so I can focus on studies and college." She makes a face as Marlene continues.

"Tris!" she calls out.

I think for a second. "Dare."

She bites her lip, not expecting this, when Uriah leans over and whispers in her ear. She giggles and I shoot daggers at him. "Seven minutes in heaven with Four."

I turn pink but grab Tobias's hand and get up. "See you in seven. Maybe even eight," I say smiling as Tobias and I walk into the darkness.

The second we're out of ear-shot of the clearing, Tobias stops me and kisses me against a tree. I'm caught off guard but I wrap my arms around his neck, holding him closer. His hands are at my hips, holding me closer. He breaks away and makes his way to my neck. As he distracts me, he bends slightly and picks me up. I instinctively wrap my legs around him and pull his mouth back to mine. We stay like that for a while – for a second, twenty minutes, I don't know – with him holding me against a tree and my legs around him, when we hear a twig snap. Both of us break apart and look towards the direction of the sound. Tobias gently puts me back on the ground and kisses my forehead before tensing up, turning into the Four I met that first day.

I heard the sound of someone tripping into this little area when Tobias sighs. "You?" he demands.

"Me? What about _you_?" a familiar voice counters. I groan inwardly and step around my boyfriend.

I give a tight smile. "You know, you really have the absolute _worse_ timing, Caleb."

 **To be continued tomorrow! Special thanks to the following:**

 **Mills03**

 **Soccerpup17**

 **BooksLover2000**

 **Divergentseriesfan13**

 **For your suggestions and help! It really helped with this and the next chapter. Or chapters? Whichever one is more grammatically correct – I'm too tired to GAF. Is it just me or do I use dashes too much? My English III teacher complained that I did but it's been two years…. Oh well, I guess.**

 **Anyways, thank you, everyone for reading and the support! Means a lot :D**

 **With love, always, countryblueeyes xxx**


	18. Chapter 18

_I heard the sound of someone tripping into this little area when Tobias sighs. "You?" he demands._

" _Me? What about_ you _?" a familiar voice counters. I groan inwardly and step around my boyfriend._

 _I give a tight smile. "You know, you really have the absolute worse timing, Caleb."_

My brother narrows his eyes at me and opens his mouth to retort something, but I cut him off. "What the hell are you doing here anyways?"

"I could ask you the same question, Beatrice, but I'm sure it has something to do with _him_ ," Caleb hisses, pointing his finger at Tobias. "I _told_ you he was bad news. I _told_ you –"

"And I told you that I wouldn't do anything to hurt her," Tobias interjects.

"Caleb, we talked about this – you just need to trust me," I try to reason with him.

"Right, and _that's_ why you're in the middle of the woods, having sex?"

"God, Caleb, for a smart person, you really can be _ignorant_ ," I growl. He gasps, considering "ignorant" to be a bigger insult than "stupid", even though they're the same thing. "Besides, we weren't having sex, nor were we here just to make out."

"Then why were you here?"

"Because –" Tobias starts, but he's cut off.

"FOUR! TRIS! TIME IS UP!" Shauna's voice rings through the trees. I sigh in frustration and look at Tobias.

"You know we need to bring him." Tobias thinks about this for a second before nodding.

"Nose, you walk in front." I give him a questioning look but don't say anything.

Caleb goes white as a sheet. "But I don't know –"

"I'll tell you where to turn." Tobias sounds hostile, even to my ears. I grab his hand and give it a squeeze. He sighs quietly, but says nothing until Caleb leads us back to the clearing.

"What the hell is going on here?" Caleb demands as everyone tenses.

"Everyone, meet my brother, Caleb. Caleb, my friends and I are playing Truth or Dare and I was dared to play seven minutes with Four. Now sit your ass down and loosen up for once." Caleb looks at me, shocked, but listens to me. "Now, Caleb. Truth or dare?" I ask slowly and carefully.

"Uh, truth?" he asks.

"Why were you in the woods to begin with?"

"What if I don't want to answer that?"

"Take off an article of clothing," Zeke says emotionlessly. Caleb widens his eyes and looks at me.

"In case you haven't realized, bro, I'm still fully clothed, so calm down."

"I was in the woods because…" he mumbles something.

"You need to say it loud enough for all of us to hear for it to be valid," I say.

"I was following you."

I scowl. " _Why_?" I practically yell.

"Because you were walking to the forest and I was wondering why and I followed you. Or tried to because I got lost and then I was wondering around until I found you and Four getting it on."

Everyone goes silent and I resist the urge to strangle my brother. Zeke and Uriah say, "Get some!" as Chris and Mar squeal for me.

"We were just _kissing_ , Jesus. Caleb is over-exaggerating." I lean closer to him. "I think you should go."

He nods his agreement and gets up. He reaches the trees when he stops and turns. "I don't know where to go."

Tobias groans, loudly, and gets up. He leads Caleb into the darkness.

"Tris, no offense, I don't like your brother," Zeke says lightheartedly.

I smile a little. "Yeah, he's not always the easiest. But, he's my brother, you know?" He shrugs and Tobias reemerges. He sits next to me, so close that our hips touch, and wraps his arm around me. I can tell he's still annoyed – not that I blame him. I sigh and lean in closer to him.

"Now who goes?" I ask.

"Four, you go," Will suggests.

Tobias thinks carefully, looking at everyone in the circle. "Zeke."

"Dare," he says with a smirk.

"Does anyone have a blindfold?" Zeke's face falls a little. Christina tosses Tobias one, and he plays with it in his hands. "I dare you to put this on and try to guess who someone is by touch alone. Only face, no boobs or dicks." Everyone laughs.

Zeke considers this and nods. Tobias tosses him the blindfold and Shauna helps him put it on. She spins him around thrice as Tobias taps Marlene on the shoulder. She makes a face at him and sits in front of Zeke. She grabs his wrists and places them on her face. Zeke starts feeling around.

"Okay, long enough hair to not be any of the guys. Hair's too long for even Chris. High cheekbones. Soft jawline. You just cringed, so you can't possibly be Shauna. That leaves either Mar or Tris. Hmmm… Tris?" He guesses, taking off the blindfold. Marlene smiles and waves. "Dammit!" he yells as he scrunches up his nose. "Now what?"

Tobias thinks. "You have to do whatever Marlene says, whether tell the truth about something or do a dare, no backing down. If you do, Uriah starts for the rest of the year, as in this year, not the school year."

Zeke glares at Tobias. "You're an ass."

Tobias smirks. "Love you too, sweetie!" He turns to Marlene. "Well?"

Marlene smile deviously. "Chris, hand me the measuring tape." Christina obliges, and she and Shauna are trying not to laugh. Marlene measures Zeke's waist, hips, and legs. "He'll fit in Chris'," she announces to the other girls. The guys and I sit, confused. "C'mon, everyone! We're going to Chris' and Tris' room!"

 **Okay, that's it for tonight. I'm too tired to continue, so I'm really sorry. If you have any suspicions as to what Marlene will do to Zeke, please do not put it in the reviews. Please. Like, with a cherry on top. If you just have to get it out, send me a PM so others can't see it.**

 **On a different note, Jai Courtney will be in the new** _ **Terminator**_ **movie, and he's going to be the only reason why I'm going anywhere near that movie. Also, apparently,** _ **Divergent**_ **'s Eric's last name is Coulter? I guess? I don't know. If anyone can confirm/deny this, I'd be grateful, because "Coulter" sounds kinda adorable and innocent, which, let's be honest, Eric isn't. But I love Jai… See my dilemma? Ugh.**

 **Okay, I'm going to bed before I embarrass myself anymore. Love you all!**


	19. Chapter 19

Within fifteen minutes, the eight of us are packed into Christina's and my small dorm room. Marlene's shoving Zeke into the bathroom while Chris and Shauna shuffle through Chris' half of the closet. They start giggling and take out a shapeless red blob. They follow Marlene into our in-suite and lock the door.

All the guys look at me. "Don't give me that face – I haven't the foggiest as to what the hell they're going to do to him." I plop down on my bed with a groan. Tobias sits at the foot of it as Will lies on Chris' bed and Uriah takes my desk chair, spinning around in it. I ball up and Tobias leans back onto my pillows. "Four?"

"Yeah?"

"Why'd you call my brother a 'Nose'?"

Uriah starts laughing and Tobias gives a smirk. "Take it away, Uri."

"The smart asses in Erudite are always nose-deep in books and they act like they _know_ everything, so it's kind of like a play on words."

"Pansycakes and Noses," I say. "Y'all have a very interesting vernacular."

Uriah gives me a weird face. " _Vernacular_?" he asks.

"It means vocabulary," Will chimes.

"I guess Tris is part Nose, too," Uriah jokes, earning a pillow to his face. "HEY!"

"That's what you get," I retort, laughing.

Right then, the bathroom door opens and out walks Zeke. Actually, I think "struts" is a more accurate word. He's wearing a long, shimmery, red dress with a slit coming up to his mid-thigh. The dress has a low v-neckline and can only be described as "sexy". Uriah gives out a cat-call and Zeke shakes his finger at his brother. "Try to keep it in your pants, baby," he says in his best flirty and girly voice he has. I start to laugh.

"Dude, are you wearing _make-up_?" Will asks.

"He is," Marlene laughs. Uriah takes the liberty to take pictures of his older brother.

After he changes back into normal clothes and gets the make-up off, we all just sit in Chris' and my room, just hanging out and talking.

I start to doze off in Tobias' arms. "Hey, you guys, we should probably let them get rest. Tomorrow is Visiting Day anyways; we should all ready." Everyone agrees and bid their goodnights. Tobias gets up but I grab his arm.

"Stay," I mumble.

"Okay," he whispers tightening his arm around me. Christina decides to walk Will back to his dorm, and she smiles at us before shutting the door.

"Will you be okay tomorrow?" I ask.

"I guess. Why?"

"Well, will Marcus show up?"

He tenses a little. "I doubt it."

"He hasn't before?"

"No."

"Tobias?"

"Yes?"

"Will you be okay with meeting my mom and my dad?"

He's silent for a second. "Of course, Tris. Besides, even when Marcus doesn't show up tomorrow, I'll have my whole family – my whole world – right there next to me. Tris, you're everything to me now." I look up to him and bring his lips to mine.

This kiss isn't like the other one we shared tonight. This one is sweeter and says everything that we cannot put into words. This kiss is the kind of kiss that you'd read in books, hear in songs. It's perfect.

His arms tighten around me and he pulls me over so I'm on top of him. I know I'm small, but I like how he doesn't make me feel like it. He's not afraid to hold me too tight or kiss a little too hard. It's exhilarating.

He pulls away and pecks my nose. "I should get going, too."

"Okay," I say, slightly disappointed.

He smiles. "I'll see you first thing in the morning, okay?"

I nod and roll off of him. We both get up and he leaves. I collapse back onto my bed, suddenly exhausted. I start to fall asleep when Christina comes back in. She shakes my arm. "You'll sleep better with PJs on, you know."

I nod groggily and find Tobias' gym shorts that he gave me and a tank top. I put them on and fall asleep, still unsure how to introduce him to my parents.

 **Hey y'all. Sorry, it's another short chapter, but I had a super long day. I will try to make it up to you in the next update, with Tobias meeting Natalie and Andrew.**

 **I just would like to wish everyone (more specifically Americans) a happy 4** **th** **of July and I hope everyone (and I do mean everyone this time) has a safe weekend! Love you all! xx**


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Christina and I walk into the cafeteria and into pandemonium. There are at least twice as many people than usual in the large building, but at least three times as loud. Chris loops her arm with mine and guides me into the thickest part of the crowds. She weaves in and out of reunited families with extreme ease, and I feel comfortable following her.

"MOM!" she yells, practically skipping to a woman in her mid-forties. The woman looks a lot like Chris – tanned skin, warm eyes, and short hair – but is shorter than her daughter. They embrace tightly. When they break apart, Christina turns to me. "Mom, I want you to meet my best friend, and roommate, Tris. Tris, this is my mom, Catherine."

I smile. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."

She grins back at me. "Likewise, Tris." She steps forward and engulfs me into a hug. She breaks away and I smile a little. I take a step back when a little girl – Christina's younger sister I assume – wraps her arms around Catherine from behind.

I lean towards Chris. "I'm going to find my family, okay?"

She nods, smiling, as she walks over to her mother and sister, wrangling them both into a hug.

I start navigating my way through the crowds, searching, not for my family, but for Tobias. I find him quickly; he's surrounded by many groups of reunified kin and looks really uncomfortable. I walk towards him. "Tobias," I whisper, "are you okay?"

He opens his mouth, but someone bumps into me, forcing me closer to him. Our chests meet and he shuts his eyes and groans.

"Claustrophobic," is all he can get out. My eyes widen.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay, we'll get out of this, okay?" He doesn't respond, so I know I'm going to have to guide him. "Here," I say, as I take his hands and place them on my waist. He buries his face into my neck and I try not to smile. I start guiding him through the crowd and we eventually make it to the sides of the cafeteria, where there are less people. He lets out the breath he'd been holding and relaxes a little. I grin at him and kiss his cheek gently.

"Tris," he mumbles. "There is a woman walking over here and she kind of looks like you."

I frown. "She looks like me…?" I mutter, turning around. And that's when I see her: my mother. It's been two weeks since I've seen her, and I haven't realized how much I've missed her until right now. I walk over to her.

She smiles at me and gives me a gentle hug. "Oh, Beatrice," she says. She places her hand on my cheek and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "My sweet, sweet Beatrice."

 _Don't cry_ , I command myself as I blink the moisture out of my eyes. She smiles at me and I return it.

"My, have you filled out," she says, looking at me in my tight, black clothing. She notices my tattoo and smiles. "You look good, Beatrice."

I grin back. "Thank you, Mom." I glance past her. "Where's Dad?"

"Looking for you and Caleb. I was doing the same when I noticed you guiding that young man over here," she says quietly. I smile.

"Mom," I say as I take a step back. "This is my boyfriend."

Tobias offers his hand for her to shake. "Four." They shake hands.

"Four? Is that some kind of nickname?" my mother asks.

Tobias offers a small smile. "Yes, Mrs. Prior, it is."

She laughs. "Oh, please, call me Natalie."

Just then my father and brother come over to us. Mom gives Caleb a hug as my father does the same to me. "Hey there, Bumble-Bea," he says, using the nickname he came up for me when I was five.

"Hi, Dad. There is someone I'd like you to meet," I start, as Tobias offers his hand to my father.

"Hello, sir. My name is Four." My father takes Tobias' hand and gives it a good, hard shake. Tobias shows no reaction, but I notice how his arm muscles tense a little.

"Hello, Four. I'm Andrew," Dad says, releasing their hands. I notice how my father subtly clenches and unclenches his hand. My mother seems to notice as well, for she takes his hand in hers and interlock their fingers.

"Four and Beatrice are dating," she says quietly and soothingly to my father. He grinds his teeth but says nothing.

There is a beat of awkward silence when my father sighs. "So, Four, what are your plans, exactly, with my daughter?"

Tobias tenses a little, subtly. "My-my plans, sir?"

"Yes. She isn't just a one-and-done to you, is she?"

I feel the heat rise to my cheeks. Tobias gulps, nervously. "No, sir. She isn't. I really like her and I wouldn't dare do anything to hurt her." I slip my hand into his and give it a squeeze. His thumb absentmindedly rubs circles on the back of my knuckles, which are just starting to heal from the self-defense sessions.

My father opens his mouth to say something more, but my mother interjects. "Andrew, stop," she hisses – which is very unlike her – before turning back to us. "You look rather familiar, Four."

Tobias clenches his teeth and squeezes my hand. "I can't imagine why, ma'am," he says, struggling to keep his tone polite.

I laugh. "You know, I thought I recognized him, too, at first. You guys remember the Blacks – our neighbors from Pennsylvania, when we lived there? They had a son, Robert, who had a similar hair color, skin tone, and dark eyes. But he was Caleb's age."

Dad and Caleb nod, for they don't usually pay that close of attention to details, but my mother doesn't quite believe me. Nevertheless, she smiles, somewhat tightly, and gives a stiff nod.

"Of course," she states. "My mistake. I apologize, Four."

He gives a smile, relieved. "No worries, Mrs. Pri – I mean Natalie," he quickly amends himself after the look my mother gives him. I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

I glance past my parents and see Shauna. She's speaking rather animatedly to a man and woman – presumably her parents – who have very disappointed looks on both their faces. She looks terrified. "Mom, Dad, can you excuse me for just a second? My friend Shauna wanted me to meet her parents and she's right over there," I say, jerking my chin. They both glance over their shoulders.

"Go ahead, sweetheart," Mom says with a smile. "And, Beatrice," she adds, beckoning me closer. "I'm very glad you've made friends and have people here who care about you," she whispers, kissing my cheek. I smile, embarrassed, at her as Tobias and I walk over to Shauna.

"Shauna!" I squeal when we get closer. "I'm _so_ glad I found you. We're still on for tomorrow, right?"

"To-tomorrow?" she asks, nervous.

"Yeah. Remember, I'm tutoring you for Stats? Anyways, I have to help Amar after school for an hour but I'm sure he'll let you come in and I can help you then."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, tomorrow's good. After school?"

I nod. "Yes, in the gym."

She grins at me. "Okay, see you then. Thanks again, Tris!"

"No prob. See you then. Bye," I finish, dragging Tobias with me.

"What was _that_ about?" he questions.

"She warned me that her parents were going to be mad at her for failing stats and I could see that they were in an argument, so I figured I would step in." I shrug.

He laughs and drapes his arm over my shoulders. " _Tú eres muy abnegada_." **(You are very selfless.)**

I grin. "Thanks."

We walk back to my parents and I see that Fernando is walking away from them, back to his own family. I pause and glance around. "Chris!" I yell over the crowd. She jerks her head in my direction and I wave to her. She nods and taps on her mom's shoulder, whispering something. Then she comes over to me.

"Yeah?"

"I'd like for you to meet my parents." She smiles and we walk over to my family. "Mom, Dad, this is my best friend and roommate, Christina." She greets my parents and brother, who seems mildly annoyed that she is there, and walks back to her mother and sister.

Just then, my father's phone beeps. He gets it out and reads whatever message was sent to him. He frowns and puts it away. "Caleb, Beatrice, I just got a message from work and I need to get going," he says, looking at our mother. She looks sadden, but just for a moment.

Caleb looks nonchalant, and I adopt a similar look. "Oh, okay, Dad. We understand," Caleb starts.

"Of course. Besides, we'll see you soon enough, right?" I add.

Dad looks between us and nods. "Of course we will. I love you both."

"We love you, too," we say back to him in unison. I give Mom a hug as Dad and Caleb shake hands and do the weird guy-hug thing. Then, we switch parents, giving the other a hug. Mom offers Tobias a quick hug, and he's surprised at first, but he returns it. He offers my father his hand once again and they shake hands.

Within minutes, my parents are gone. Again.

 **Hi everyone! I am so sorry that I didn't update last night. I got caught up in reading *winces* and I really feel bad. I hope this chapter makes up for it!**

 **Thank you, all, for your support – whether you're just reading this (holy shit, 13,000 views?!), leaving me reviews (hell yeah, 81), or following (69, hahaha)/ favorite-ing this (39, *screams*) – it really means a lot to me.**

 **Love you all! xxxx**


	21. Chapter 21

Tobias and I leave the crowded cafeteria after my parents leave. We walk hand-in-hand to the gym, where we're going to go over some defense training. He seems more relaxed, now that we're away from the happy families, mine included.

"Tris?"

"Yes?"

"Your dad gives one hell of a handshake."

I laugh. "No kidding. I swear, every time he meets a guy, he _tries_ to break their hand."

"I caught onto that. That's why I squeezed his hand twice as hard."

I stop walking and stare at him. "Please tell me you're kidding."

He shakes his head. "No. That's why he was clenching and unclenching his hand."

"Oh my God," I say.

"What?"

"Well, there are two possibilities. The first – and more likely – is that he'll like you because you've proved yourself to be a 'man'." I make air quotes with my free hand and roll my eyes. "The second is that he now hates you because you almost broke his hand."

Tobias is quiet, think about what I just said. "Well. I really hope it's the first option because it wouldn't be good if the father of the girl I… care about doesn't like me." His cheeks redden.

I smile a little and start walking again. "C'mon," I say gently. "Let's go train."

XxX

I duck and dodge Tobias' punch. I maneuver myself behind him and knock his legs out from under him. He lands on his back, but not hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs. He lies there and looks at me. "That was a lot better, but remember to use your elbows and knees to disable me." I nod, recalculating the way I would have done that.

I collapse next to him and run a hand through my hair, sighing.

"You okay?" Tobias asks me.

I laugh. "I just knocked you to the ground and you're wondering if _I'm_ okay?" He remains silent. I groan inwardly and say, "Yeah. I'm okay. I'm a little disappointed that my parents had to leave, but I understand why."

"You miss them." It isn't a question. "I can tell."

"How?"

"There's color in your cheeks and you look happier. You look like seeing them did you some good."

I stay silent, processing what he's saying. I can feel him move behind me, but I remain still. He wraps his arms around me and rests his chin on my shoulder. I lean back into his arms without thinking. I rest my hands over his and sigh. "Look," he says, "I know everything may seem messed up – and in many ways they are – but you and me? We're okay. The world could be burning to the ground but the two of us are okay." He presses his lips to my temple gently.

He gets up and offers me his hand. "Let's get out of here," he says. I smile and take it, allowing him to help me up.

Half an hour later, we walk towards the dorm rooms, and Tobias' cell phone vibrates. He reads the message and pales. "Tobias, what's wrong?"

"We need to get to the cafeteria, like right now."

"Why?"

He looks at me with pure panic in his eyes. "Can't explain. Let's go, quickly."

I allow him to drag me back to the crowded dining hall when I see Zeke and Uriah, looking rather uncomfortable, standing on either side of a short woman. Her skin was the same mocha color as the boys next to her and her arms were crossed. Tobias walks over to her with his head bent, like a little boy who just got scolded.

"You know, Four, even though you aren't _technically_ my son, I still want to see you on Visiting Day," the woman chastises him.

He cringes. "I know, Hana. I know. I'm sorry. I just got… distracted."

With that, her eyes abandon Tobias and land on me. Her entire expression softens. "Oh," she says, slightly surprised.

"Tris, this is Hana Pedrad. Hana, my girlfriend, Tris," Tobias introduces us. She glances at him, shocked, but when she turns back to me, her expression is kind.

"Oh, my. I wasn't expecting that. Ezekiel and Uriah hadn't told me." She shoots a look at them and they smile nervously. "They were too busy assuring me that the Shauna and Marlene they each keep mentioning are real, although I have yet to meet either young lady. How is it that my honorary son has introduced me to his girlfriend sooner than my own flesh and blood?" She shakes her head in mock-disappointment.

Hana has Tobias and me sit with her, Uri, and Zeke for a while. She's very nice and has easily accepted the two of us into her family. After about 15 minutes, Tobias gets up.

"Hana, Tris has been helping me with Spanish and we're going to go study right now. And you should spend time with your real sons," he adds, smiling.

"I may not have birthed you, Four, but you are one of my sons. Don't forget that," she says, kissing his cheek. I bend down to hug her and she looks at me with kind eyes. "Take good care of him, Tris."

I smile. "I will, Hana. It was so nice to meet you."

"And the same to you, my dear."

With that, Tobias and I leave the dining hall again. Only, this time, we leave happier.

 **I really wanted to show the motherly love Hana has for Tobias, and what better time than the first Visiting Day. I** _ **think**_ **there will be more, I have yet to decide…**

 **A huge thank you to each and every one of you readers, who have taken the time out of your busy schedules to read this. I wish I could thank each one of you individually, but FFn doesn't tell me who's read this. This is the best I can do.**

 **So a huge shout out to YOU for reading this. Yes, you, with the awesome eyes and the wonderful smile. (Just so you know, to me, all eyes are awesome and all smiles are wonderful.)**

 **Love you all! xxx**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi, everyone. I'm really sorry, but I'm going to do a time skip thing. Not a huge one – only about two weeks. I know that seems like a lot, but think about what you did two weeks ago. That doesn't seem so long ago, right? Anyways…**

It's two weeks before Halloween. During the weekends, Factions allows students to leave campus for shopping or whatever. So that is how I was dragged to the mall five miles away from campus. Shauna and I both have our licenses, but only she can (legally) drive others. Because gas is so expensive, we carpooled in her car, which during the week resides in Factions' parking structure for students.

Anyways, Shauna's driving with Christina in the front seat. I sit behind Shauna and Marlene sits next to me. They had insisted that I go with them, even though I _hate_ shopping. But, I allow them to drag me to numerous stores, looking for costumes. I have this love-hate relationship with Halloween. I've always loved dressing up and getting free candy, but, as I got older, I began to hate dressing up because most costumes didn't fit my body shape, and, if one did, it hardly covered anything. Sounds like a major contradiction – which it is – but I loved having an excuse to dress up as a princess or a pirate or whatever, but I despised the fact how the skirt kept getting higher and higher and the neckline kept getting lower and lower.

But Christina had found my modest, "Bewitching" dress and hid it, forcing me to get a new costume.

They drag me to many stores that I would have never dreamed of going in until finally going to the Halloween Store. Shauna starts flipping through sexy pirate costumes as Marlene paws through Little Red Hood costumes. Christina is grabbing costumes like nothing, handing them to me. She forces me to go into the dressing rooms and has me try one the first costume.

"C'mon, Tris, let me see it," she complains.

"No," I growl. She groans and pushes back the curtain.

I'm in a short white dress that has a brown corset over it. I have a short cape with a hood. I feel underdressed. "Oh, you look cute!" she squeals. I narrow my eyes at my reflection.

"Next," I hiss. She sighs and hands me the next costume. It's a police costume, where the buttons are designed to show some serious cleavage. The shorts – leather – come up higher than Shauna's shirt did at that first party. After what felt like forever, I finally find a costume I can tolerate. Marlene found an "Alice in Wonderland" dress that came up to mid-thigh. It has spaghetti straps, showing my tattoo, and a corset back to it. The back part of the dress, under the corset, goes down to the back of my knees. The skirt is full and lacey and undeniably sexy. It comes with black, fingerless gloves that go up to my elbows and a cute black headband. Shauna was able to find some white fishnet stockings that have rose designs in them and Chris said she'd lend me her strappy, black heels.

I feel weird walking out of the store, but excitement buzzes through me. I cannot help but wonder what Tobias will think of my costume. I blush and push the thought away.

We make it back to campus at 4:30 in the afternoon. We hide our new costumes – Shauna going as the pirate she was looking at earlier, Mar going as a sexy fortune teller, and Christina going a flapper. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year and Uriah and Zeke are hosting a huge party, inviting practically everyone they can think of. Apparently it's going to be a huge thing, complete with a fog machine and candy. The girls assure me that the Halloween party is one of the biggest ones they do, but I'm still rather nervous.

We make our way to the dorm when I feel my pocket buzz. It's Tobias.

 **(Okay, so Tris will be** **underlined** **and whoever she's texting will be in** _ **italics**_ **, okay? Okay.)**

 _Hey. Where are you?_

With Chris. Going back to our room. Why?

 _Come here._

I smile. Where's here?

 _My room._

"Who are you talking to?" Chris asks, leaning over to read over my shoulder. I can practically _feel_ her roll her eyes. "Are you tutoring him in stats, too?"

"What is with you and math jokes?" I tease in a rhetorical tone.

I'll be there in 10.

Nine minutes later, I am knocking on his door. My hair's in a sloppy bun and I have his sweatshirt over a pair of tight jeans, but you would've thought I was the most beautiful thing in the world when Tobias opens the door. He gives me a once over before grasping my hips and pulling me into his room, slamming the door shut.

 **Thank you, yet again, for reading this, and, again, I apologize for the time jump. Basically, all that's happened over the last two weeks was Tris tutoring Shauna and Tobias and Tris doing self-defense. Nothing much.**

 **Anyways, let me know what you think of the story, please.**

 **Love you all. xxx**


	23. Chapter 23

_Nine minutes later, I am knocking on his door. My hair's in a sloppy bun and I have his sweatshirt over a pair of tight jeans, but you would've thought I was the most beautiful thing in the world when Tobias opens the door. He gives me a once over before grasping my hips and pulling me into his room, slamming the door shut._

He kisses me, picks me up and gently places me on the bed. He pulls away but is still hovering over me. "I missed you today," he murmurs before he starts kissing my neck. My breath hitches in my throat.

"I-I missed you, too, babe," I stutter as he starts kissing the ravens on my collarbone. I feel goosebumps rise up and down my arms.

"Did you have fun with the girls?" he mumbles against my skin.

"I guess. Got a nice costume for the party."

That seems to get his attention. He rolls off of me and we're lying on our sides, chest-to-chest.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Yeah. Really cute – sexy even," I tease.

"Oh really? When do I get to see it?"

"At the party." I smile smugly.

"Can I at least know what you're going as?" He sounds hopeful.

I smirk. "At the party."

He groans. "Tease," he jokes.

I place my hands on his chest. "You like it," I joke back. He circles his arms around me and kisses me gently.

"You have _no_ idea."

XxX

At 5:46, we start making our way to the cafeteria. My hair is frizzy and Tobias' hair is slightly out of control. We are one of the last couples to show up at our table.

"Where're Zeke and Shauna?" I ask.

Marlene scrunches up her nose. "In our room." The tone she uses tells me to drop the subject.

"So, are we matching again this year?" Uriah asks.

Chris and Mar glance at each other. "Nah. That was too complicated last year, trying to find you costumes that fit without you figuring out what we were going as," Christina decides. Will gives out a breath of relief, which earns him a playful smack on the arm.

Tobias gets up to get some food, and Chris leans over. "Did you guys do it?" she whispers in my ear. I feel a blush crawl up to my face. Her eyes widen and she opens her mouth.

"We'll talk later, Chris," I hiss. She nods excitedly. I groan inwardly as Tobias slides in next to me.

"Hey, Mar," Uriah sings.

"Yeah?"

"You think Shauna would be cool to do some shopping for the party?"

Marlene shrugs. "We can ask."

Uriah nods. "Ay, Four."

"What, Uri?"

"Don't shave this week."

"Why?" I ask.

Tobias makes a face. "Zeke and I are designated alcohol buyers, because, when we don't shave, we pass for 21." I subtly make a face. "Uriah, it's your brother's turn anyways to buy the booze." He drapes his arm across my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. I rest my head on his shoulder and we finish eating.

We say our goodnights and Christina literally drags me back to our room.

 **I'll have you draw your own conclusions about what happened ;) Thank you, again, each and every one of you for reading this and for all the support. Love you all!**


	24. Chapter 24

" _Spill!_ " Christina commands me.

"Dude, chill the hell out. We didn't have sex," I retort.

There's a wave of confusion that crashes onto her face. "Oh. Then oral?"

I smile innocently. "Nothing happened. We just made out. And this." I throw my hair over my shoulder, revealing a red circle on my neck. She gasps and starts laughing.

"Damn! I didn't think Four would do something like that. I didn't think you'd _allow_ something like that. He gave you a freaking hickey. Caleb's gonna freak!" She starts laughing.

I give her a look. "Chris," I start. "You gotta help me cover this up." She stops laughing for a second.

"Tris, it'll mostly fade in a couple of days. Tomorrow, I'll talk to Shauna about taking us back to the mall to get you some makeup in your color. Until then, just wear a scarf. He actually couldn't've placed it any better. When Will gave me my first hickey, he put it in the most obvious stop. And it was warm out, so I couldn't wear a scarf and I ran out of concealer; everyone knew." She rolls her eyes at the memory, causing me to smile. "So, you're still a virgin?"

My smile falls. "So are you," I point out.

"Yeah, but I'm not dating an 18 year old," she jokes.

I glare at her. "Whatever, Christina."

She gives me a weird face. "Not even a blow job?"

"NO!" I shout incredulously.

Her tanned cheeks darken, but she doesn't say anything. I smirk, but remain silent. "C'mon," I say, "let's get some rest."

XxX

 _I'm standing in a field, by myself. The air is stagnant and it's difficult to breath. There's a dark cloud above me and thunder rumbles. I shiver and turn, spotting a lump not far from me. There are a bunch of black birds on top of it, so I guess that it's a carcass. I walk over to the lump and scare away the birds. I see that the lump is actually a person._

 _Panicking, I try to turn the body over, to make sure he's – it's obvious that he's a guy, with his dark, short hair – okay, but when I flip him over, I scream. The birds swarm in, attacking both me and the corpse. I cry, unable to hold the tears back, because I know the man. I care about him._

 _Tobias._

I bolt into an upright position in my bed, screaming. I gasp for air as Chris turns on the lights.

"Tris?" she asks nervously. I put my head on my hands and start crying, complete with shuddering, body-wrenching sobs.

She sits in front of me on my bed and engulfs me into a hug. I sob into her shoulder while she rubs my back, trying to soothe me. "Shhhh, it was just a dream…just a dream…" she murmurs.

"It-t-t-t-t w-w-w-was-s-s-s F-f-f-f-f-fo-o-our, and he w-w-w-was-s-s d-d-d-dead-d-d," I weep.

Someone bangs on the door. "Chris! Open the damn door!" Christina gets up and opens the door to a very scared Shauna. She glances around the room and sees me. She gulps and walks over to me. She sits next to me and wraps her arm around me. She smooths out my hair and starts to hum a song that I recognize, but can't quite place my finger on. I calm down a little and soon drift into a dreamless slumber to Shauna's motherly touch.

XxX

When I wake up, Christina's already awake. She's shuffling her feet, like she just woke up, but she's fully dressed. "Ch-Chris?" I say.  
She turns, tense, but quickly relaxes. She has bags under her eyes, like she didn't sleep last night. "Hey. You okay?"

I nod. "I think so. It…felt so real…," I trail off. She nods, understanding.

"He's waiting for you in the cafeteria," she says as she goes to lie down on her bed.

"Did you get any sleep?" I wonder. She shakes her head.

"You woke up a couple of times, screaming. Shauna and I stayed awake to calm you down."

I bite my lip. "I'm so sorry."

She turns. "Tris, you were having nightmares, really bad ones. We wanted to make sure you were okay." She flops back over and buries her face into her pillow. After I change, her breathing becomes deep and steady, signaling that she's fallen asleep. I guess everyone has a little bit of selflessness in them. I sigh and make my way to the cafeteria.

 **Okay, I hope this makes up for the short chapter I just posted (even though this one isn't much longer, sorry!) and for not updating yesterday. I would've added more, but I'm really sore and tired. Thanks, again, for reading! Lots of love.**


	25. Chapter 25

I walk into the cafeteria and it's pretty crowded. I glance at my cell and see that it's pretty close to 10. I scrunch up my nose and make my way to the table. Tobias sees me and rushes to me, giving me a tight hug. I'm surprised, but I hug him back.

He pulls back, concern clouding his ocean blue eyes. "Are you okay?"

I nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a couple of bad dreams."

He's not buying it, I can tell. He chews the inside of his cheek as we walk to the table. I sit next to Shauna, who I notice, like Christina, has bags under her eyes. I give her an awkward side hug. "Thank you," I murmur to her. She groggily nods and rests her head on Zeke's shoulder.

"Shauna," Tobias starts in a harsh tone.

"I know, Four. I should've gotten you, but Chris and I had it under control. She was fine," Shauna growls. They must've been having this argument for a while now. Tobias opens his mouth to retort, but I grab his hand and shake my head. He gives a frustrated sigh but doesn't say anything.

"Shauna?" I ask. She opens her eyes.

"Yes, Tris?"

"Thank you for everything last night."

She gives me a small smile. "It wasn't a problem. I have two younger siblings – Lynn and Hector – and I always had to babysit them when our mom was working. Lynn actually used to go here, but she got her GED and is taking courses at the JC. Hec is still in middle school," she says, speaking in a fond and protective tone. I smile.

"I have another question for you," I state.

"Go for it."

"What song were you humming to me? I thought I recognized it, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it…"

"Oh. It was _Warriors_ by Imagine Dragons." **(AN: *coughs* Insurgent soundtrack *coughs*)**

"Ah. Thank you," I say. She smiles and shuts her eyes again.

I get up and walk over to the breakfast line. I'm not really hungry, so I only grab some toast and an apple. I turn to return to my table, but someone's blocking my path.

"Hey there, cutie," a nasally voice says. I try not to cringe and look up. It's one of the boys in my P.E. class, but I can't place his name. He has long, greasy hair and a couple of piercings. Tobias said that this boy was his version of Peter… still, the name escapes me.

"Excuse me," I say, trying to step around him, but he shifts his weight so he's still in my way.

"Where you going? You and I should hang out later," he says, stepping closer to me. I try to take a step back, but someone trips me – accidentally or on purpose, I don't know – and I fall backwards and land on my back, dropping my food.

"Eric!" someone hollers. I wince. _Don't do anything stupid, Tobias._ He walks over to me as I get up, brushing the crumbs off of my clothes. "Are you okay?" Tobias asks me. I nod and he faces Eric. I'm standing behind him, and I notice how tense he is. "What," he starts, "the _hell_ were you doing with my girl?" He's growling. I can't help but smile a little. I like it when he calls me his girl.

The other boy, Eric, rolls his eyes. "Yo, baby, why don't you ditch this loser and come hang out with a real man?" he asks me. I don't even hide my disgust.

"Why would any girl want to be with _you_? And haven't you ever heard of a shower, greaser?" I shoot back sarcastically. I hear someone yell "Burn!" but I can't place from where; it seems that the entire cafeteria is in a huge circle around the three of us.

Eric doesn't seem to like my comment too much because he lunges at me, or tries to at least. Tobias steps in Eric's projectile and pushes me back gently into the crowd. Uriah catches me before I can fall and places his hands on my shoulders. Even when I'm steady, he doesn't let go of me. That's when I realize that I'm trying to get in their fight. I notice Zeke on the opposite side of the circle, holding his phone. I glance around and see Marlene and Will doing the same thing, all from different angles.

"Uri, let me _go_ ," I hiss.

"No. He's going to be fine," is all he says.

I look back at the center and see Eric and Tobias circling each other. I'm not much of a fighter, but I can tell that Tobias is on the defense and Eric's on the offense. Eric throws a couple of punches but Tobias dodges them with extreme ease. I'm kind of scared that he's going to get hurt – Eric seems rather ruthless – but I shake my head. _I've_ fought Tobias before; he's practically unbeatable.

Eric lunges at Tobias again, this time grabbing his middle, but Tobias uses Eric's momentum to turn. Eric isn't expecting this, and he loses his grip, sliding to the feet of the crowd. Eric gets up and he is _pissed_. He charges at Tobias, throwing punch after punch, but Tobias is doing well blocking them. He makes contact a couple of times, but they don't have any effect.

Then, another boy – one of Eric's friends, I assume – enters the "arena". Tobias has his back to this other boy and doesn't notice. Luckily, Zeke notices when the other boy started moving, hands his phone to the girl next to him – I think her name is Lauren – and rushes into the circle, right as I yell out, "Four! Behind you!" Tobias barely glances over his shoulder because he sees Zeke and knows that his best friend has his six.

Unfortunately, Zeke's not as good as a fighter as Tobias is and gets nailed in the jaw. Uriah scoffs. "That's the best you can do, bro? What a pansycake!" I look at him incredulously. "What?" he asks. "It's motivation." He shrugs.

I turn back to the fights. Zeke's dodging the punches a little better, but is just distracting Eric's friend as Eric and Tobias still circle. I see Eric's lips moving, and, although I can't hear what's being said, I think he's taunting Tobias, for he looks angrier and angrier with every second. Eric throws another punch, but Tobias ducks. Eric miscalculated the strength he needed and stumbles a little. Tobias follows and kicks his legs out from under him. Eric lands on his stomach on the cafeteria floor. Tobias places his knee in between Eric's shoulder blades and puts one hand on his head. Eric struggles to get up, but with each move, Tobias pushes his head into the floor a little harder.

I look at Zeke and see that he has somehow pinned the other boy.

In that moment, I hear someone saying, "Get out of the way, move it!" It sounds like Shauna.

Sure enough, Shauna makes her way through the crowd with someone behind her.

Ms. Reyes, the dean of discipline.

"My," she says, taking in the two boys on the floor and the two boys on top of them. "What do we have here?"

 **Hey everyone. Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but I was exhausted. I've been really tired lately, and I don't understand why. I don't really have anything to say other than thank you for reading the story and feel free to leave me reviews in order to let me know how I'm doing. I hope all of you are well :D**


	26. Chapter 26

Half an hour later, I am sitting in the office with Tobias, Uriah, Zeke, Shauna, Eric, and his friend Mark. Will, Marlene, and Lauren are in Ms. Reyes' office with the videos caught on the three different phones. It's been several minutes now, several, _agonizing_ minutes. Several other faculty members are in the office's waiting room, watching us. Tobias is shooting daggers at Eric, so I place my hand on his knee. He puts his elbow on his other knee and runs his hand through his hair. I can tell he's upset, but I have a feeling that now would not be a good time to talk about it.

After about another minute or so, Ms. Reyes' office door opens and our friends (and Lauren) walk out. Ms. Reyes emerges, looking a bit distraught. She casts a glance at all of us and sighs. "Four and Tris, I'd like to speak with the two of you now." Tobias and I get up and follow her into the office. She gracefully collapses into her chair opposite of us. "Your friends have showed me the videos of the fight from their phones. It was very wise of them to get all the different angles, for I can see the fight in its entirety. However, I'd like to know _why_ the fight started. William and Marlene told me that I should ask you."

"Well, Ms. Reyes," I start. "I was just getting myself some breakfast when Eric got in my way. He was trying to flirt with me, but I said excuse me. He continued to block my path, stepping closer to me. I was uncomfortable and took a step backwards, but I tripped and fell."

"I heard someone fall and I saw Eric standing over someone with bright blonde hair, so I knew it was Tris," Tobias continues. "I stood between them when she stood up and Eric kept trying to get in her pan – I mean kept trying to flirt with her. She then called him a greaser and he lunged –"

"Yes, I know the rest," Ms. Reyes interrupted. She places her hands on her desk separating us from her. She glances between the two of us. "You know, not many students find themselves in my office twice in less than a month." She gives a tight smile. "You are both dismissed, however, do not leave the office. I may want to talk to you again." We nod and leave. Ms. Reyes follows us and calls in Zeke. As he passes us, I try to give him a reassuring smile, but he only looks at Tobias. Tobias gives him a slight smirk and Zeke nods in response. We take our seats again. Shauna gets up and takes Zeke's now-empty seat next to me.

"Four," she hisses. He sighs.

"Payback's a bitch," he mumbles. "Yes, Shauna?"

"You _know_ we can't always be there to catalog your fights with Coulter." I give her a questioning look but she ignores me. "If Zeke gets suspended _again_ for intervening, you'll have both me and Hana to answer to."

Tobias chews the inside of his cheek subtly. "I know," he sighs. He turns to her. "But I highly doubt either of us will get suspended. They were smart to record it –"

"That's because we know how your fights usually end, Four, and we want to make sure that Reyes knew that you weren't even fighting; you were just blocking, but that doesn't change the fact that –"

"Shauna. Please," he says, rubbing his temples. She opens her mouth again but I look at her with pleading eyes. She bites her lip in frustration but nods simply.

Time passes by slowly as Ms. Reyes calls each person one, sometimes two at a time, once, twice, even thrice to try to get each side of the story. She even brought in Jack Kang, the school psychologist, to see who was lying or not. Hours pass at an agonizing speed. It's about 2:30 before Ms. Reyes starts going through each person individually. After she speaks to someone, they leave without so much as a goodbye.

She started with Shauna, Lauren, Mar, Will, and Uri, because they weren't technically in the fight. Then she spoke to Eric and Mark, both in which threw things around. Tobias went next, and now I sit alone in the waiting area. I resist the urge to take out my headphones with great difficulty, but then Ms. Reyes sits next to me.

"Tris," she starts. "This was an interesting day, at best."

I give a small smile, but don't look at her. "At best," I repeat.

"Tris, nearly everyone involved has received some form of punishment, and, as much as I disagree with it, I have to discipline you as well, because you were the 'instigator' of sorts."

I sigh. "I understand, Ms. Reyes."

"So, I give you two detentions with Amar."

I nod. "Okay. Am I allowed to leave now?"

She gives me a small smile. "Yes. But, try not to get involved in any more fights, okay? I can only be lenient for so long."

"Of course. Thank you, Ms. Reyes." With that, I get up and exit the office. I open the door and see Tobias waiting for me. Without a word, he slips his hand in mine and we walk to the dorms.

We go into his room and find it empty. Zeke must be with Shauna. Tobias holds the door open for me, so I duck inside and sit on his bed. He sits across from me and looks at me. "Are you okay?" he asks.

I pull my legs up to my chest and nod. "I'm okay. Are you?"

He leans back against the wall. "Yeah. It wasn't my first dog fight with Eric, and I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the last," he says bitterly. I cross my legs and put my hand over his. He looks at me with fire burning in his eyes. I can't tell if it's fury, lust, a combination of the two, or something different, but I don't care. I lean forward and kiss him.

He smiles against my lips and pulls me into his lap. One hand tangles itself into my hair as the other traces my spine. I shiver and put my hands on his shoulders, slipping down to the hem of his shirt. I tug it and Tobias takes it off swiftly. Our lips meet again and he gently eases me back onto the pillows. He has one knee between my legs and one arm braced next to me, so I can't feel his weight. He gently rolls over and pulls me on top of him as he starts kissing my neck.

Today sucked. But if every sucky day ends like this, I won't mind enduring a lot more.

 **Okie dokie, everyone. How are you? I hope everyone is well, and I am sorry for not updating as often as I should, but I'm busy getting ready for the new school year and whatnot.**

 **I wanna warn you waaaay ahead of time that a week from Tuesday will be my last update for about four weeks. I'm really sorry, but I really wanted to let you know now.**

 **Anyways, please leave me a review if you love, like, dislike, or hate the story. If you dislike/hate it, also include how I can improve it. Thanks!**

 **Love you all! xxx**


	27. Chapter 27

I wake up feeling feverish. Tobias and I are under God knows how many blankets and he's like a human-space-heater. I kick off the blankets as gently as I can and glance at the clock. It's only 6; we've been asleep for nearly three hours. I carefully remove Tobias' arm from my middle and sit up.

"What time is it?" he grumbles sleepily.

"Only 6."

He groans and sits up. I kiss his cheek and look around for my sweatshirt. "Tris?" he asks quietly.

"Yes?" He doesn't say anything, so I look at him. He's looking down so I move so I'm in his lap. I take his face in both of my hands, forcing him to look at me. "What is it, Tobias?"

He gives me a half-smile. "I have something I need to tell you," he starts. I remain silent, knowing he'll continue when he's ready. He takes a breath. "I might be in love with you. But I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though."

I feel heat rise to my cheeks and brush my lips against his. "That's very sensible of you," I joke.

He leans in and traces my jawline with his lips. "Maybe," he whispers, "I'm already sure, and I just don't want to frighten you."

"Then you should know better," I say breathily.

He pulls back. "True," he says. I look down but he lifts my chin, making me look at him, as he takes my hand. "I love you, Tris."

I kiss him and put everything that I cannot place into words into that kiss. He pulls back and pecks my nose. "I know," is all he says.

XxX

I walk back to my room, feeling drained. Should I have told him I love him too? Isn't it a bit early to be saying "I love you"? I mean "love" is something that is huge, rare, and beautiful. But when I think of that word, I see Tobias. I run my hand through my hair, sighing in frustration.

I shove the door to my room open, causing Christina to scream and Will to jump. I give them an incredulous look as she pauses whatever they were watching. "You scared me!" she yells. I smirk.

"What're you guys watching?" I ask, plopping down onto my bed. I look at the TV and see a gorgeous 1967 Chevy Impala. I laugh. "Really? You jacked my _Supernatural_ DVDs?"

Will looks ashamed, but Chris says, "You said I was more than welcomed to watch any of your movies."

I nod. "What episode is this?"

"Don't know," Chris says.

"What season?" I ask.

"The first one." Will tells me. I nod.

"Has the 'Bloody Mary' episode happened yet?"

"Why?" Chris questions.

"It's the one episode I refuse to watch at night," I tell her.

She scoffs. "What, is little Trissy scared?" she says tauntingly.

I give her an emotionless expression. "As a matter of fact, yes. I have a bad childhood memory related to Bloody Mary and I can't watch that episode for the life of me. Now has it happened yet?"

"Yes, it has. It was the episode before this one in fact," Will states.

I smile at him gratefully. "Thank you, Will. 'Skin' is a really good episode, too."

"What do you have against Bloody Mary?" Christina asks stubbornly. She's not going to leave me alone until I answer her question.

I groan. "When I was about 6 or so, we lived in Maryland. I was invited to one of my father's colleague's daughter's sleepover. I didn't want to go, but my mom told me it was the selfless thing to do. So I went. Well, the daughter didn't like me and she told me to go play Bloody Mary in the downstairs bathroom. I almost refused, but I remembered my mom telling me to be kind to the other girl, so I agreed. I went into the bathroom and did Bloody Mary. Then, the girl and her friend shut the door and locked it. I tried to turn on the light, but the lightbulbs were missing. It was a full moon, and the window in the bathroom was opened. I looked into the mirror and saw a pair of white eyes look back at me, and I screamed as loud as I could. The girl's father came rushing to the bathroom with a flashlight and opened the door. It was a raccoon that had snuck into the bathroom. I cried and my parents had to pick me up because I wouldn't calm down. I slept with the lights on in my room for two weeks afterwards. I'm not afraid of Bloody Mary, I'm afraid of her coming back to get her revenge on me. That is all," I finish.

They both look at me in stunned silence. I get up and rummage through the dresser, looking for my pajamas. It seems that I'm running out of clothes; I'm going to need to do laundry tomorrow.

"Tris?"

"What, Christina?"

"Not to seem heartless, but how would Mary get her revenge on you?"

I shrug, not looking at her. "I don't know. Peter burning me on a stake? Getting kidnapped by faceless men? Maybe waking up in a glass tank with water rushing in? I was a kid and it was a bad memory. Fearful events are the hardest to root out and forget; they're the ones we naturally remember the best. You just can't let them control your life or your choices," I conclude as I open the bathroom door. I shut it and take a long shower, allowing my tense muscles to unwind in the hot water. I take a step out and see that "Hook Man" is almost over. I didn't think I took _that_ long of a shower, but whatever. I crawl into my bed and shut my eyes. I may have fallen asleep, I'm not sure, but I jump up when I hear Christina scream again. I look around, see what could've caused her to freak, but the only thing is the TV.

"What the hell?" I mutter.

"She hates bugs," Will explains, wrapping his arm protectively around her. "Can we skip this episode?"

I bite my lip. "No. It has some important insight into Sam and Dean's childhood. Just have her curl into you when the bugs show up."

Christina gets up and practically runs into the bathroom. I hear her give one loud sob.

Will shakes his head, smiling. "That's my girl. Tough as cotton balls."

I give a short laugh before curling into myself, drifting asleep.

 **Thank you for reading. I'm sorry, but that's all I have tonight – too tired to function. Please review.**


	28. Chapter 28

After school Tuesday, I am heading to the gym for my last day of detention with Amar. I open the doors and see a large group of girls in a tight circle. I hear someone laugh with pure joy. I smile to myself as I make my way to Amar's office.

"Tris!" someone from the group calls. I glance over my shoulder. Shauna is waving goodbye to the other girls as she rushes to me. She sashays towards me with a piece of paper in her hands. "Tris!" she screams with a huge grin.

I laugh. "What, Shauna?"

In response, she shows me the paper. It was of the pop quiz we took in stats yesterday. I look at it and see a large "B" written on it. I grin at her. "Congrats, Shauna!" I cheer.

She tackles me into a hug. "I never could've done it without you!" she squeals. I smile and hug her back. She pulls away. "Thank you so much," she says with true gratitude. I smile.

"You know it was no problem," I say.

She shakes her head. "I was unteachable, a lost cause, but, because of you, I just might pass math this year!"

I'm about to tell her that it was my pleasure, but Amar opens his office door. "Tris, we need you in here."

I smile apologetically to Shauna, but a girl walks into the gym. "Shauna!" she yells.

Shauna laughs. "Winter Guard; once in the family, always in the family. Hi, Rita!"

I grin at her and walk into Amar's office. Zeke and Tobias are already in there, taking the two seats opposite from Amar, so I take a seat on Tobias' lap. "What was all that about?" he asks me.

"She got a B on the stats pop quiz yesterday," I answer.

"Wow. That's impressive. She's always been bad at math. You must be a really good tutor," Zeke chimes in.

"She is," Tobias adds. "I actually have a B in Spanish now because of her."

Zeke give me an incredulous look, but Amar speaks up. "Hey, Tris, the usual?"

I nod and he chucks me a cherry Dr. Pepper. "So how many more days do you two have?" I ask Tobias and Zeke.

"Only two," Zeke says, sounding incredibly bored. Amar gets up to talk to the Winter Guard coach, a tall, young Asian guy named George. He seems really nice. Zeke has already downed three Cokes and gets up to use the restroom.

"Tobias?"

"Yes, Tris?"

"Something's been bugging me since Sunday…" I hesitate. "What was Eric saying to you? After Zeke stepped in? He was saying something and I could tell that you were getting angrier and angrier…"

He sighs and puts a hand on my knee. "I'm afraid it'll upset you." I look at him, not knowing what to say. His jaw clenches. "He was giving me great details about how he was going to…" One of his hands tightens into a fist. I take it in my hands. He relaxes his fist and sighs. "I'm sorry," he mumbles. I shake my head.

" _You_ don't need to be sorry," I say as I get up, taking Zeke's now-empty seat.

He shrugs. "I'm just glad that I told Reyes about what he said. I'm willing to bet that she'll take him out of the PE class." He gives me a smirk, but it doesn't meet his eyes.

"Tobias," I say quietly. He looks at me. "We're okay. Let's just enjoy this week without Peter and Eric, alright?"

He sighs and gives a stiff nod. I lean over and take his hand in mine as Amar comes in, practically skipping. I notice that he has a piece of paper hidden in his hand, which he subtly puts in his pocket. I bite my lip to hide my smile. So he got someone's number… good for him.

XxX

When the hour is up, I finally look at my phone. I see that I have half a dozen text messages from Chris.

 _Does Dean die? I swear to God, if Dean dies, I'm jumping out of the window!_

 _WHAT IS DEAN DOING TO THE IMPALA?!_

 _Dean's a dick._

 _I can't decide if I'm a Dean girl or a Sam girl…_

 _Will Jo end up dating one of the boys?_

 _TRIS ANSWER ME I WILL GOOGLE THIS SHIT!_

I start laughing, but don't answer her.

"What's so funny?" Tobias asks me. I show him my phone and he reads my texts. He looks back at me. "Who're Dean and Sam?"

I cringe and explain _Supernatural_ the best I can without giving away too much. When I finish, he just looks at me. "Okay, I definitely need to watch this show."

I smile. "We can binge over the weekend. We have that huge Spanish test on Friday that we need to study for, remember?"

He groans and grabs my hand. "That's my girl, keeping me on track." I laugh and allow him to guide me to the library.

I sit down across from him at a table and get out my notebook.


	29. Chapter 29

I walk into my dorm room and immediately notice a line of salt underneath the door. I roll my eyes but stay put. "Christina?" I call out.

"CHRISTO!" she yells behind the dresser. I decide to mess around with her.

I flinch. "Can you not?" I hiss, staying where I am. Her eyes widen and she starts muttering to herself. I laugh and step over the salt. "Jesus, Chris, don't go psycho on me now."

"Y-you're not a demon?" she stutters.

"Christo, no. By the way, if you even _think_ about putting a Devil's trap in our room, I am hiding my _Supernatural_ DVDs and banning you from watching it again. Okay?"

"Yeah," she grumbles.

"Good," I say, taking my Chemistry book out from my backpack. I sit on the spinny chair and bring my legs up so I look like a human knot. I do my homework in peace as Chris watches the TV and scrolls through her phone.

"Hey, Tris?"

"What?"

"Why can't I find you on Facebook?"

"Because I don't have one." Three, two, one –

"What do you mean you don't have one?" she yells. I smirk.

"I've never needed one. I never went to school before now and I couldn't make any friends. In fact, the only friends I ever made were my neighbors in Pennsylvania, Robert and Susan. Susan and Caleb were better friends than she and I were and Robert only went where Susan led him, so he was just kinda there. I mean, he was always nice and all, but he was really quiet." I shrug as I turn back to my homework. I finish my Chemistry worksheet and start reader's companion for The Crucible.

"Hey, did you know that The Crucible is actually about the Red Scare in the '60s?" I say.

"I thought it was about the Salem Witch Trials?" she asks.

"Kind of, it's more complicated than that. During the Witch Trials, everyone was accusing everyone of being a witch, just like during the Red Scare. Everyone was accusing everyone of being a communist."

Chris just stares at me. "Maybe they shoulda put you in Erudite."

I bite my lip. "I tested for it," I whisper.

"You tested for Erudite?" she hisses.

I lick my lips and nod. I hesitate for a split second. She's my best friend; I can tell her anything. "Yeah. I tested for Dauntless, Erudite, and Abnegation."

Her eyes widen. "I've never heard of something like that…" she muses. I shrug and finish the packet silently.

XxX

 _I'm trapped in a room with a mirror as a wall. I look around and there is only one window. I turn around and look at my reflection. I want to cringe away, but something catches my eye. There is something in the window. I turn around and see a man. His face is generic, nothing that would make him stand out from a crowd._

" _Can I help you, sir?" I ask, trying to be polite. He doesn't say anything, but, when I blink, he appears right in front of me. He grabs me and I try to get away. He starts tearing at my clothes, and I try to fight back. Something from behind me grabs me and holds me down. I struggle and am somehow able to get away. I run to the mirror and slide it open. I see the first man pull a gun from his waistband and aim it at me. I hear a bang and –_

I wake up with a jolt, gasping for air.

"Tris?" Christina asks groggily.

"I'm okay," I gasp. "Just a bad dream." I get up. "I'm going to go out for a walk."

"Hmmm, okay," she groans, turning over. I pull Tobias' hoodie over my t-shirt. I ease the door open and walk out into the hallway. I quietly walk down the hallway, my bare feet barely making a sound. I reach the door I hadn't realized that I've been heading towards. I stand on my tip toes, reaching as far I can to the top of the doorway, feeling around for the key. I unlock the door and place the key on the dresser after soundlessly shutting the door. One of the beds is empty, as expected, as the person in the other bed stirs.

"Tris?" I stay still. "Bad dream?" he guesses.

"Yeah," I say in a small voice.

"C'mere," Tobias mumbles.

I take off his hoodie so all I'm left in is my shirt. It's long, and I hadn't thought to put on shorts before coming. His eyes skim over my bare legs and I feel my cheeks heat up. He scoots over in his bed and I slide in under his covers. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shake my head and duck my head to the crook of his neck. One of his arms is outstretched, under my head as his other hand rest casually on the outside of my bare thigh. "Are you okay?" he whispers in my ear.

I nod and kiss his jawline, making my way to his lips. I hitch my leg on his hip as his hand moves its way to my hip and under my shirt. His tongue runs over my bottom lip, asking for permission. I comply and he tours the inside of my mouth, his tongue going in circles around mine. I moan a little as he bites my lower lip. His hand runs up to my ribs, bringing my shirt up with it. I pull away and start to pull my shirt back down. I swallow. "I'm sorry," I mutter.

"No, Tris. You have no reason to be apologizing. _I'm_ sorry, I shouldn't've taken advantage…" he trails off and I giggle a little. I peck his cheek and that's when the nightmare catches up with me. I begin to cry. He remains silent but he wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly to his chest. I just allow the tears to run their courses. Tobias doesn't say anything and he doesn't need to; I just need him to be here with me. He's my rock.

When I finish, he puts a hand on my cheek, his thumb rubbing away the tears. "Get some sleep, Tris," he murmurs. "I'll fight off the bad dreams if they come back to get you."

I allow myself to smile into his chest. "With what?"

"With my bare hands, of course." I give a short laugh and close my eyes. Right before I slip into unconsciousness, I hear him say, "I am in love with you, Beatrice Edith Prior."

I almost say it back, but I'm too far gone.


	30. Chapter 30

**Stupid, filler chapter. Leads to something important in the next chapter… or the one after that… depends how the story develops. Thank you, everyone, for reading this and supporting the story. Over 15,000 views and nearly 3,000 viewers? Holy crapshoot! Thank you for being so amazing. Love you all!**

I wake up to the faint sound of something buzzing. I try to fall back to sleep, but it escapes me. I grumble to myself and sit up, seeing that it's only 5:45. I see Tobias standing in his bathroom and holding a handheld razor. I silently get up and walk towards him. I stand behind him and wrap my arms around his middle, placing my forehead in the center of the cross tattooed on his back.

He tenses up for a split second, signaling that I've startled him. He relaxes almost instantly. He puts down the razor. He rests his large hands over my child-like ones as his thumb skims over my knuckles. I don't know how long we stay like that when I finally pull back. "I guess I should get going," I mumble. He nods.

"Let me give you another pair of shorts," he says, abandoning his previous task.

XxX

I walk into my room soundlessly and see that Christina is already awake, putting on her makeup. "Tris, that you?"

"Yeah," I say as I pick out my clothes.

"Were did you go last night?"

I flinch and flush, knowing that there is absolutely no way around her question, but I still try. "Out," I say vaguely.

"Out," she repeats. "Care to be more specific?"

"Nope."

"Oh, I see. You were with Four last night, then," she states matter-of-factly.

"God _dammit_ ," I whisper to myself, nearly inaudibly. I don't respond to her though as I change quickly. I grab my books and shove them wordlessly into my bag. I grab my keys and slip out of the door without another word.

XxX

The week ends without hitch. As Tobias and I walk out of Spanish, he's grinning. "That was surprisingly easy," he says cheerfully. I smile a little. "Tris, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I stop. "Do you wanna get out of here?"

"Get out of here?" he repeats. I nod. "And go where?"

"I don't know. Anywhere. Let's go on an adventure, Four. It'll be fun," I say, trying to keep the mischief out of my grin. I guess it's contagious, because the corners of his mouth twitch.

"Who are you?" he teases.

"I'm still me. I just… I don't know, I just want to get out of here. So are you in?" I glance at him, trying to keep plead out of my eyes.

He stops walking and turns to look at me. He looks from my eyes to my nose to my lips and back up again. He gives a sigh. "Now?"

My smile widens. "Now," I repeat.

He returns my smile and takes my hand. "Your ride or mine?"

I can hardly contain my excitement as we walk to the student parking structure. "How about yours? I can't drive other people yet."

He smirks. "Two things. One, I'm 18, so you can drive with me in the car, and two, I could drive your car. I drive a motorcycle." I bite my lip.

"What kind?"

"A Kawasaki Z1000," he says without thinking.

"Nice."

He looks at me. "You know it?" I nod. "Wow, I'm impressed. Not many girls know 'bout bikes."

I smirk. "Let's take mine," I say, steering him to the correct spot.

I take out my keys and unlock the car. "This is yours?" he asks in awe. I smile.

"Yep." I look at my 2015 midnight blue Ford Mustang GT. I got the car as a start-of-semester gift. Caleb had gotten a silver, fancy, eco-friendly Lexus, which he adores.

We get in my car and I throw it in reverse, slowly backing out of the spot.


	31. Chapter 31

**Thank you for reading :D**

Tobias starts laughing. "I can't believe you just called him a dick-fuck."

"He cut me off!" I justify.

"So you call him a dick-fuck?" He's still laughing. I pull off the road and turn into the parking lot.

"I don't think about my insults when I'm driving," I mumble. I pull into a spot.

"So, the Navy Pier, huh?"

I nod as I open the driver door. "I've never been."

He nods and says, "C'mon, let's go."

We get our tickets and we ride the carousel and I go get in line for the Ferris wheel. We get on, but I don't notice that he's tense until we're halfway up to the top. "Tobias, you okay?"

He swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Yeah, of course," he says. He would've been convincing, too, if his voice hadn't cracked a little. I take his hand in mine.

"You're afraid of heights," I state.

He looks at me, a little bit of fear in his eyes. "Everyone's afraid of something, Tris."

I flip his hand over, absentmindedly tracing his veins. "Just don't look down."

"Tris, you tell someone not to do something, what is their automatic response?" he questions as we start turning again. He squeezes my hand a little.

"You should've told me, I wouldn't've gotten in line."

He opens his mouth but we start going up higher and he clenches his jaw. We're almost at the top of the Ferris wheel. "Tris, being this high up… it doesn't scare you?"

I glance down. "Nope."

"Great," he mumbles. He grasps the seat bar to hide that his hands are shaking.

We move again, now we are at the highest point of the Ferris wheel. I grin and kick my feet in the air. A bubble of laughter rises inside me and bursts into a giggle.

Tobias groans. "Are you even human?"

I smirk, and squeeze his hand. We make our way back down to the base of the wheel. He lets out a breath of relief.

"One more time," I beg.

He looks at me with a "Are you fucking kidding me?" look on his face. I give him a small smile, and he sighs. "One more time, only because I love you."

I grin as we start to ascend again. We get to the halfway up again and his breath hitches. I smile to myself and make him look at me. There is pure terror in his midnight blue eyes, and I lean in. He kisses me back passionately, thankful for the distraction. I smile against his lips as his hand knots itself in my hair. I pull back when we get closer to the ground. I flag down the attendant and he stops the wheel. We get off and he looks at me. "You're evil," he teases. I take his face in my hands and brush my lips to his.

"Yeah, but it was more enjoyable the second time, wasn't it?" I joke, taking his hand.

He laughs. "I guess."

We walk back towards my car, but something catches my eye. It's a flyer advertising "Paintball at the Pier!" in two weeks. I grab a couple and let Tobias lead me to the passenger side. I look at him, but I see that he has my keys. "You call me evil," I mumble as he opens the door for me. "I'm picking the music!" I call out. I can see him smirk as he slides into the driver's seat.

He messes around with the settings as I fiddle around with the aux cord. I reach up and press a button and the top comes down. He looks at me and says, "You didn't mention it was a convertible." I grin and put on "Good Girls" by 5 Seconds of Summer. I blare it as he pulls onto the highway. When it ends, I scroll through my music and find another song, one that was a bit different.

"How do you go from that boy band to a country song?" Tobias asks me.

I grin. "Shuffled music. Besides, it's Luke Bryan." He rolls his eyes and grabs my hand, putting it in the middle.

XxX

We make it back to Factions by 6:30. We had picked up food on the way back, so neither one of us were really hungry. "Hey, can we watch that show you were telling me about earlier this week?" Tobias asks me. I nod and we walk to my room.

I grab the first two seasons. "Let's go back to your room. Chris will come back and complain that we're watching it from the beginning."

I grab my pajamas and throw them into my bag with the DVDs. We walk to his room in comfortable silence. When we get to his room, he picks me up, suddenly, bridal style. I squeal for a second and laugh as he walks over the threshold. He kicks the door close and gently puts me on his bed. I hand him the first disc and he pops it in. I scoot over to make room for him. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and I place my head at the crook of his neck. We lie like that and I can't help but feel perfectly content.

 **Please review.**


	32. Chapter 32

_I'm in the middle of the ocean. There is no land within eyesight, and I'm struggling to stay afloat. A wave comes crashing into me, forcing me under. I try to swim back to the surface, but I'm all turned around. I can't tell which way is up or down. My lungs feel like they're about to combust. I finally break the surface. I gasp, catching my breath but soon after another wave hits me sending me under once again. I struggle against the waves and get a mouthful of salt water in my mouth. I gag, but I'm choking on it, drowning on it. There are black spots in my vision and I can't get up to air. I'm drifting deeper and deeper in the water, drowning me, consuming me._

I bolt upright, gasping for air. Tobias' arm slips from my middle and he stirs. "Tris?" he mumbles. When I don't answer him, he sits up. "Are you okay?"

I remain silent, still trying to catch my breath. I look at the clock. It reads 2:48. "I'm…o…kay…," I wheeze. "Just… another… nightmare…" I lean into him as he wraps his arm around me.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, you're okay," he murmurs. That's when I realize that I'm shaking.

I swallow nervously. "I'm sorry – I don't mean to be such a mess," I whisper. I put my head on his shoulder.

"Tris, you don't have any reason to be apologizing to me," he whispers.

"Shut up, you two, trying to sleep over here," another voice adds from the other bed in the room.

I giggle. "Sorry, Zeke," I say sarcastically.

"Shut. It," he calls back.

"Bro, go back to Shauna's then," Tobias retorts.

"Fuck off, Four," he shoots back. He gets up and eases out of the room.

Tobias shakes his head. "He's crabby when he can't sleep. You learn to deal with it." I force a smile. "Tris, what happened?"

I shake my head. "Nothing. I was just drowning. It just freaked me out because I didn't have control over what was happening to me and I –" I start shivering.

Tobias leans over and grabs his blue quilt. He wraps it around my shoulders and gets up. Without him holding me, I am shaking uncontrollably and my teeth are chattering. He grabs a flannel shirt and hands it to me.

"Put this on," he commands. I open my mouth but he gives me a stern look. I suppress a groan and put my arms through the sleeves. I feel like I'm five again and I'm wearing my father's jacket. But I also instantly feel warmer.

Tobias crawls back into bed and lies down. "You okay?" he asks.

I snuggle closer to him and shut my eyes. "I'm always okay when I'm with you."

XxX

I wake up to the smell of… pancakes? I open my eyes and see Tobias sitting at his desk. "You awake this time?" I sit up and nod.

"Why? Were there a lot of false alarms?" He laughs to himself, almost like he's just remembered a joke. "Tobias?"

"Well," he starts. "You did tell me that you loved me." I feel the heat rush up to my cheeks. "Several times, might I add."

I gulp and put my head in my hands. "How many?" I ask, my voice muffled.

"I lost count after 5," he says. I can _hear_ the smile in his voice.

I groan. _So much for surprising him_ , I think to myself. I get up out of his bed and walk over to him. I swing my leg across his lap so I'm straddling him. I wrap my arms loosely around his neck. I look into his midnight blue eyes and allow myself to drown in them. "I love you, Tobias James Eaton."

He smiles a little and gently presses his lip to mine. "I know. I love you, too, Beatrice Edith Prior."


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey all, sorry about the short chapter last night. I was watching a really cute movie and it was adorable and I felt like writing an overly fluffy scene to match what I was feeling. Anyhow…**

Tobias and I eat pancakes in his room. I'm sitting on his bed and my legs are draped across his lap and he rests his hand on my knee. He's tracing my knee cap lightly, sending goose bumps all over my skin. I'm still wearing his flannel over my ratty old t-shirt and a pair of pajama shorts.

My phone starts to go off. I look at it and see that it's from Chris.

 _Dude where are you and 4?_

I don't respond, and it goes off again.

 _USE PROTECTION!_

I roll my eyes and ignore it. Then Tobias' phone rings. He looks at it and chucks his phone onto his bed next to me. He shakes his head and I smile.

"They messing with you, too?" I guess.

"I think Zeke and Uriah are worse than the all the girls and Will put together," he says slightly irritably.

I grin. "I'm sure."

His phone goes off again, and I hand it to him without looking at the message. If he wants me to know what the Pedrad brothers are texting him, then he'll show me. He reads it and the tips of his ears turn red as his teeth clench. "You know, Tris," he grumbles. "I don't think you do."

XxX

We walk to the dining hall for lunch and see that the rest of the group is at the table. Zeke and Uriah are sitting next to each other. Tobias lets go of my hand suddenly and silently walks over behind them. He then slaps them both upside their heads at the same time. **(For all my** _ **NCIS**_ **fans, think of the Gibbs slap.)**

"Ow!" Zeke yells.

"Dude!" Uriah shouts.

Tobias leans down. "Look, I know you're my brothers, and brothers talk to each other like that, but you _ever_ say that to me about her again, I _will_ kill you. Understood?" he growls.

Zeke rubs the back of his head. "Loud and clear. Damn."

Tobias gives a tight smile. "Good." He then makes his way over to me and sits down.

"Four," I whisper. He looks at me. "Wanna talk about it?"

He shakes his head and I nod, understanding. Sometimes, we just need to keep our own secrets for a little while.

XxX

Wednesday rolls around and everyone is counting down the days until Saturday. Halloween, and the huge Halloween bash. And by everyone, I mean the majority of the student body. Even some of the nerds from Erudite are showing up for the one night everyone can be whoever they want to be. Last night was a full moon and all throughout the campus, you could hear random students howling out into the night. This time of the year makes people do some weird shit.

The girls and the boys – excluding me and Tobias – have decided that couples are not to see each other outside of classes and lunchtime until the night of the party. I protested, begged, and even threatened the other girls to let me see Tobias to no avail. The only thing I'm allowed to do is text him, and that's only because I can do it in secret. Believe me, only secretly texting the man I love for three days outside of school is beyond torturous; I think the words inhumane, and cruel and unusual punishment are far more accurate. Not seeing Tobias is driving me up the wall and I feel as if I'm going insane from the house arrest the girls have put me in.

I'm doing my homework while watching – well, listening – to _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_ while Chris is playing on her phone.

"You know," she says. "That Captain America guy is sarcastic as hell."

"Yeah. Imagine how bad Steve will be when he breaks 100," I say with a hint of cynicism.

"A 100 what?"

"Years," I say as if it's obvious. I mean, it is… isn't it?

"There is no way in hell that hottie is a 100."

"He isn't. He was born on Independence day of 1918, so he's 97," I say without much of a thought. She's silent. "Chris?" I say as I turn my head. She's gaping at me with her mouth open. "Shut your mouth or you'll catch flies," I tease.

" _Why_ do you know that?"

I shrug and turn back to my homework. "Because I love Marvel and my brother and I would watch the movies and learn random Marvel facts. We'd try to one-up each other, but I would almost always win."

"Nerd."

"Yup."

I finish the Spanish assignment with ease and my phone goes off. I look at it and see it's from Tobias. **(Okay, since my underlined words didn't work as well as it should've, so the person texting Tris will be italicized and Tris' responses will be bolded italicized.)**

 _God, I miss you._

 _ **I know, I miss you, too. My only entertainment is amazing Chris with my Marvel trivia.**_

 _Marvel trivia? I didn't know you were into Marvel._

 _ **Not a lot of people do.**_

 _Hmmm… What's Nick Fury's middle name?_

 _ **Joseph. What are we, 5?**_

 _Nope, I'm 4_

 _ **Oh shut up! Lol**_

 _Lol, you love me._

I blush. _**Yes, I do.**_

 _;) I love you too._

I smile at my phone. Christina looks at me. "Who're you texting?" she demands.

"No one," I say quickly. Too quickly.

"You're talking to Four. Give me the phone."

I shake my head. "Over my dead body!"

"Tris, you know the rule!" she shouts back as she tackles me. We collapse on the floor, her trying to pin me, me trying to keep my phone in my hand. She eventually grabs it and tries to bolt to the bathroom but I grab her ankle and pull her down.

"God, _he_ trained you, didn't he?" she asks as she sniper-crawls away from me. She slides my phone away from us. I get up and charge for it, but she's taller than me and gets to it faster. She runs into the bathroom and locks the door. I pound on the door and I hear her on the other side.

"Hi, Four, this is Chris," she starts. "Tris knew she shouldn't've been texting you, so now I have her phone on lockdown…yes… yes… no…okay. Oh, by the way, you trained her very well…yes, I tried to take the phone away from her… no, she loves me too much to hurt me…oh, fuck you, Four. Oh wait that's her job –"

"CHRISTINA!" I holler through the door. She laughs.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Okay, see ya, Four."

She opens the door but my phone is nowhere in sight. "Chris?" I growl.

"Don't worry, it's fine. By the way, he says that he misses you and he's going to punch me the next time he sees me because I'm keeping the two of you apart. Oh, and he loves you. I'm only keeping your cell for a day as a punishment."

"And you don't think not seeing him is punishment enough?" I shout, ignoring the other information.

She chews the inside of her cheek. "Tris, I know it's hard. I can't see Will either. Mar can't see Uriah. Shauna can't see Zeke. We understand the difficulty of not seeing our boyfriends. We get it," she says slowly.

I frown at her, tears prickling my eyes. I blink them back. "I get my phone back tomorrow?"

She nods. "Yes."

I sigh. "Okay, I guess I can deal with that. Why can't we talk to the boys again?"

"So we can't accidentally slip what we're going as for Halloween. The closer we get, the more excited we are to share. That's why we only hang out with the people, with whom we got our costumes."

I make a face. "That kinda makes sense. But I am _not_ happy with it."

She gives me a sad smile. "Tris, none of us are."

 **Hi everyone! I hope you all are well. Okay, so I've created – or try to create – a pin-along at** **divergenerd/life-at-factions-boarding-school-fanfic-pin-along/** **for this story. I'll post more pictures as the time comes, so check it out if you want a visual idea of what I'm talking about for some things. Others, I'll leave it up to your imagination. Anyways, please review!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Okay, I'm going to try my hand at writing in Tobias' POV, but I think that I'm going to fail miserably for I am not a dude. I act like a dude and I hang out with dudes but the functions of the dude mind is beyond me. So, please make sure you review and let me know if I should even do another chapter in a dude's POV. And I do realize that I'm saying dude a lot. Oh, and even though they won't read this, a big shout out to my two best guy friends who are trying to help me out when I have questions about the brain of the dude.**

 **Tobias' POV**

I hang up from Christina and groan. I know that I can survive the next three days if I distract myself enough, but I can't help it – I can't get Tris out of my mind. I throw myself onto my bed and look through my phone. I have a message from Zeke.

 _Is it safe for me to come home yet?_

 _ **No**_

 _Dude it was a joke. You know we were kidding_

 _ **Don't care.**_

 _Four, aren't you supposed to be the forgiving one?_

 _ **You were making fun of her for being a virgin. You can fuck off!**_

 _You KNOW that we were kidding_

 _ **Don't. Care.**_

 _Four, come on._

 _ **Really? Shall I remind you of what you said?**_

I scowl and send another text immediately to him.

" _ **Virgin sex is the best; they so tight" You're a dick.**_

 _IT WAS A JOKE HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO APOLOGIZE?!_

 _ **Not enough. She's not the kind of girl to sleep with someone a month after dating and tbh I'm quite offended that you think that I'd bang her after making a promise to take things slow. She IS two years younger ya know!**_

 _Dude, I'm sorry!_

I ignore his text. I am still pissed about him and Uriah even talking about my relationship. I grind my teeth as I take out my Spanish homework. I look at the questions but it doesn't make sense to me. I do the best I can without Tris – which, if I'm being honest to myself, isn't all that great – and finish most of the worksheet.

I remember how, at the beginning of the year, all I wanted was to survive the school year and then get to boot camp. My recruiting officer, Max, said that I had to finish out my senior year and then it would only be a month before I can head out. Now that I have her, I don't know what to do. I can't just tell Max "Oh, never mind, I found the love of my life!" I don't live in a Disney movie.

I try to think about how I'm going to tell her that I'll be leaving for nine months, and then for God knows how long if I get deployed. I have a feeling that she's going to have my head when I tell her, but I know that she'd put it on a stick if I don't.

I'm so fucked.

XxX

 **Tris' POV**

"I thought you said he was 97," Christina says smugly.

"He is," I say, bored.

"Then why did he just tell the red head that he's 95?"

I roll my eyes. "Because the movie was released in like April of 2014, when Steve would've been 95."

"Oh," is all she says. I can tell that she's trying to think of a question that I wouldn't know the answer to.

"Chris, no matter what you ask me, I'll more than likely know the answer."

She grumbles something under her breath but I ignore her. Instead, I curl up into a ball and begin to doze off.

XxX

 _I'm in a black, long-sleeved shirt with military-camo pants and combat boots. I have a gun in my hand and another in my waistband. I know that I have an Army knife in my right boot and another in my pocket. There are three hostages in front of me, all with their heads down._

" _Shoot them," a voice says. I glance around but I hear a click and something rest against my head. I know it's a gun, but I remain calm._

" _Why?" I demand._

" _Shoot them!" the same voice says. "Shoot them or die!"_

 _At that, the three hostages raise their heads and my heart drops. It's my family – Caleb, my mother and my father. My hold on my gun loosens ever so slightly._

" _Do it!" the voice demands._

" _It's okay, sweetie," my father says._

" _We understand," Caleb adds._

" _We love you, Beatrice," my mother finishes._

 _I swallow nervously. My family is okay with this – why?_

" _DO IT!" the voice commands yet again._

 _I drop my weapon. "No."_

 _Then I hear the bang._

I sit up quickly, wheezing.

"Tris?" Christina asks.

I nod, catching my breath. "I'm going out," I say as I pull on a pair of sneakers.

"You can't go see him," she reminds me.

"I'm not."

"Then where on earth are you going?"

"To see my brother."

 **That's all tonight, folks. I'm sorry. Quick reminder, my Wednesday update will more than likely be my last update for about four weeks. I'm sorry, but what can I do? I doubt that I'll have wifi where I'm going.**

 **Anyways, check out the pin-along. I'm gonna post the link onto my profile for easy access.**

 **Please review, and let me know how I did with Tobias' POV. If I did shitty, lemme know and I'll probably not do it again, hahahaha.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Suuuuurrprrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssee. Bet you didn't expect to see me back, huh? Well, fortunately, I have internet :P Unfortunately, this update is short. Thank you all for the support and love and being so understanding, and I'll update when I can! Love you.**

"Caaallleeeeeeb, oooopeeeen theee doooooooor," I complain while banging on his dorm room door. "I neeeeeeeed to taaaaaaallllk to yooooooooouu."

I have been standing in front of his room for what feels like forever, but has probably only been 5 minutes.

Finally the door eases open. "Jesus, Bea, can't a guy catch up on some slee –" he stops quickly when he's noticed that I've been crying. "Hey, what's wrong?"

I swallow nervously and wipe a runaway tear. "I had a bad dream," I say quietly. I feel like I'm seven and I've just crawled into bed with my parents

He sighs. "Come on, Beatrice," he says, stepping aside. I walk in and sit down on his bed. He sits in his desk chair. "Tell me what happened."

My eyes start to water up as I recount the nightmare. Caleb's silent – for once – as he listens. When I finish, he takes my hands in his and sandwiches them together. "Beatrice, nothing, and I mean _nothing_ is going to happen to me, Mom, nor Dad. And it definitely wouldn't be your fault."

I look down and nod a little. "I guess you're right…" I whisper.

"Of course I'm right, are you joking?" he half-jokes. His tone softens. "Did you recognize the Voice?"

I furrow my brow in concentration and think back to the Voice that demanded that I kill my family. "Do you remember that receptionist that we met that first day?"

He nods. "Jeanine Matthews. She's in charge of Erudite and she's my advisor. You're not suggesting that _she's_ the Voice you heard, are you?"

I bite my lip and taste blood. "I think so. I mean, dreams don't just make stuff up. They take the voices you've heard before, or the faces you've seen, even if you don't remember them. It's probably insignificant." I shrug nonchalantly.

Caleb physically relaxes. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course I'm right," I say sarcastically. He makes a face at me and releases my hands, leaning back. "You know, Bea, we haven't really sat down and talked in a long time."

"Since the beginning of the semester," I agree.

He gets up and sits down next to me. I lean my head on his shoulder and close my eyes. We haven't sat like this since we were 14, and I was sick. Mom had a lot of homeless people to relocate at the time, and Dad was working with Eaton, so only Caleb was around to take care of me.

"So how have you been?"

XxX

Four and a half hours later, I'm walking back into my room. I feel a million times better now that Caleb and I have talked. He's a bit more supportive about me being in a relationship with Tobias and he has started dating a girl from Erudite. Her name is Cara, she's a senior with him, and he wants me to meet her next week. **(I don't usually ship CalebXCara, but for this story, I'll deal. I also know that in the books, she's older, but shhh, don't tell anyone.)** She seems to make him happy, and that makes me happy. I ease the door open and see Christina lying on the bed, with tears in her eyes.

"Uh, Chris?" I ask. "You okay?"

She sniffles. "This movie's so sad!" she cries. I raise my eyebrows.

"What movie?"

" _The Longest Ride._ "

I smile. "The book was way sadder, believe it or not."

She wipes her tears. "Why are you so cheerful all of the sudden?"

I shrug. "No reason. I just went to talk to my brother."

"Even though he's kind of an asshole?"

I shrug. "He's not _that_ bad , once you get to know him. We haven't sat down and spoken all semester and I kinda missed him."

She smirks. "I get it. I _do_ have a baby sister who I can't see, remember?"

I make a face. "Yeah, sorry," I say as I sit down on my bed.

"Tris, no need to worry." She smiles.

"Oh, and one more thing," I start. She glances at me. "He's got a girlfriend."

"What?" she yells.

I laugh. "Right? Her name is Cara, and she's a senior in Erudite."

"You have got to be shitting me. That's Will's sister!"

I feel the color drain out of my face. "No."

She nods. "Yes! We're practically related!" she squeals.

I roll my eyes. "In a weird, marital sense, yeah, I guess." I give a half-hearted laugh.

She laughs with me. "C'mon, let's just watch the movie, okay?"

"Fine by me, sister."


	36. Chapter 36

**I edited Chapter 3 a little, if anyone wants to reread it. Just a little bit of FourTris blossoming, nothing major.**

The final bell rings, signally the end of the week and the start of the planning of the Pedrad brother's big Halloween Bash. I did everything in my power this week to get away from the girls with no luck. I see a familiar tall figure with a neck tattoo walking in front of me and I try to maneuver my way through the crowds, but I'm intercepted.

"Tris!" sings a voice.

I wince. "Hey, Marlene."

She gives me a childlike grin. "I know what you were gonna do. You know you can't see him."

I glare at her – or rather, attempt to glare at her. It's kinda hard to be mad at someone when they're looking at you with child-like innocence. I groan.

"I can't even see him for a little while?" I complain. She gives me a small, pitiful smile. I scream in frustration (partly for show) before allowing her to drag me away from the halls.

"It's only for another day," she says soothingly. I grind my teeth but remain silent. "I know what you need." She grins.

"To see Four," I grumble.

"Noooo," she laughs. "A slumber party!"

I halt. "You're kidding, right?" I say.

She shakes her head. "C'mon, it'll be fun. You, me, Chris, and Shauna. We can do our nails, get a game plan for tomorrow," she rambles. I must have a shocked look on my face because she frowns a little. "It'll be fun," she repeats, looping her arm through mine and guiding me back to my room. I notice that there are two overnight duffle bags on the floor.

"Where are you gonna sleep?" I ask.

She shrugs. "Probably on the floor or something."

I shake my head. "Absolutely not. Are you and Shauna okay with sharing a bed?"

"Yes?" she says hesitantly. It sounds like a question. I nod as I walk over to my closet. "Tris, what're you doing?"

I don't answer her as I stand on my tip-toes and get the box I need down. "My mom always made sure that I was prepared," I explain as I show it to her.

"So she made you pack an air bed?"

I smirk. "Yeah, but it beats sleeping on the floor, right?"

She laughs. "Yeah, I guess it does."

XxX

Come 5:30, the four of us girls are walking back to Chris' and my room. Marlene's sitting on my bed and Shauna's leaning against the side of it. Chris and I are sitting on her bed and we're talking about anything and everything. You'd think that as close as the four of us are, and the fact that we've only seen each other for the last several days, that we'd be sick of each other, but we aren't.

"Oh my God, you guys, you know what next weekend is?" Shauna says.

The other two girls shake their heads as I say, unthinkingly, "Paintball at the Pier."

Shauna grins excitedly. "Yeah!"

Marlene smirks as Christina turns to face me. "How'd you know that, Tris?" she questions.

I bite my lip. "Four and I went to the Pier last weekend because I was bored and wanted to go somewhere." I shrug.

"And what did you do on this 'adventure'?" Chris asks, making air quotes.

"We rode on the carousel and the Ferris wheel and got a bite to eat and came back to watch some movies and shows. Nothing more nor less."

They all look at me in surprised silence. "So," Shauna starts, "have you and Four had sex?"

I flush and shake my head. "No."

She raises her eyebrows. "I don't know why I'm surprised. I know he's not like that and that you're not like that, but you guys seems so madly in love that… I just assumed…"

I offer a small smile. "I understand."

She nods when Marlene pipes up. "You know, we should get our nails done for tomorrow."

Christina squeals as she gets up and skips to the bathroom. We can hear her banging around, looking for something. She reemerges with a large box. "Who's first?" she sings.

Shauna gets up and she and I switch places. "Do that dark red with the cracked black polish," Shauna says. Chris nods and gets to work.

Mar and I start looking through all of Chris' nail polishes. I find a dark purple that would look amazing with her costume, but finding a polish that would match mine proves to be a bit more of a challenge.

"What about this blue one?" Mar suggests.

"That one's too dark," Shauna comments. "What about white?"

"Too innocent," Christina declares. "She's going as a matured Alice, she needs to be…sexy. Like black."

"Absolutely not," I draw the line. "Not black."

Chris groans as Marlene giggles. "How about a rose-colored red? There's roses on her fishnets," proposes Shauna.

"No," Mar muses. "Doesn't match her costume enough."

They keep going, bickering when an idea occurs to me. "Guys," I start. They all look at me. I tell them my idea which they all love, except for Chris, only because it's going to take her forever to do it perfectly. But eventually she agrees that it is the absolute perfect design for mature Alice.


	37. Chapter 37

Nearly two and a half hours later, my nails are dry. Christina is very proud of herself and her job on my paintjob that she's posting pictures onto her FaceBook, Instagram, and whatever she can think of to brag on.

Each nail is different and fun. My pinkies are simple; white with powder blue polka-dots. My ring fingers are black with a rose, half red, half white and a blue caterpillar next to it. My middle fingers are blue, black, and white in different, random, zig-zagged patterns. My pointer fingers are a royal blue with silver shatter on top and a small red heart in the corner of my nail. My thumbs are three different kinds of blue stacked with a black bow over them. They're perfect.

Marlene and I switch places as soon as Christina is beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt positive that my nails were dry. I love the way they came out because in Wonderland, everything is random and spontaneous and different, so I wanted my nails to reflect that, too.

Marlene does the deep purple color on all her fingers except her ring fingers; on those she got black with the red shatter. Once Mar's done, Shauna gets Christina's nail polishes and gets ready to do her nails. Since she's going as a flapper and her dress is white, she just gets a simple French tip with black music notes in the corners.

Everyone's nails look spectacular, almost like we should be on our way to a dance. Marlene giggles. "How much do you wanna bet that the boys won't even notice our kick-ass nails?"

We all shake our heads. "No one will take that bet because it'll happen," Chris reasons.

We're all silent for a moment. "So what are we going to do for hair?" Shauna ponders.

That opens a whole new can of worms.

XxX

By 10, I'm stepping out of the shower. The other girls are sitting on their beds, giggling. Chris is putting Shauna's hair in curlers and Marlene's scrolling through her phone, looking at hair styles for fortune tellers and for flappers on her phone, occasionally showing the others a particular style, getting a yay or nay on it. I smile at my friends as I sit down on my bed.

I pull out my Chemistry homework noisily, causing Marlene to look at me. "Chem homework?" she asks. I nod, distractedly. "Who's your teacher?"

"Davidson," I say.

"Can you help me?" she asks in a little girl voice.

"With?"

She hesitates. "Everything."

I smirk at her. "C'mon, Mar. I'll help you out."

She abandons her phone on the air bed and sits next to me on mine, taking out her homework and her textbooks as we get started on stoichiometry.

XxX

It's nearing midnight, and I'm the only one whose hair isn't in curlers or have something on in it for tomorrow. I pull the "I'm tired, let's take care of it tomorrow" card and lie down. After about 20 minutes, I hear Christina snoring, Marlene breathing steadily, and Shauna mumbling.

I sit up to double check that everyone's asleep before getting my phone.

 _ **Four, you still awake?**_

A few minutes later: _Yeah. I'm surprised you're able to text me._

 _ **They're asleep**_

 _They?_

 _ **The other girls and I are having a slumber party.**_

 _Sounds sexy ;)_

I groan inwardly. _**You're such a guy.**_

 _Lol thanks for noticing._

I shake my head. _**I just wanted to tell you that I love you and can't wait to see you tomorrow night**_

 _I love you too and I can't wait to see you in your costume ;b_

I blush **.** _ **Goodnight Tobias.**_

 _Goodnight Tris._

I smile and hide my messages and finally drift asleep.

XxX

I wake up to "Monster Mash" playing. I sit up and stretch. "C'mon, Tris! We have things to do!" the girls sing. I groan and stand up, allowing them to drag me to the bathroom, damping my hair and putting in curlers and different hair products. I bite my tongue to keep from complaining; after all, last time they put their efforts together, I ended up looking – what was the word Chris had used? – striking.

What feels to be 20 or so minutes later, I have a headful of curlers and a facial mask on with the others. Christina begs me to put in a good chick-flick, and, for the most part, I only have Nicolas Sparks movie adaptations. I keep flipping through my movie collection until I find a movie that is perfect for today. _The Nightmare Before Christmas._

But we don't really watch the film. We plan makeup. I kind of zone out until I realize that Christina has been calling my name.

"Tris, are you listening to me?" she says, annoyed.

"Now I am," I grunt.

"I'm thinking something simple for you. I mean, yeah, you're Alice all grown up and whatever, but your nails and dress already suggest that you're older."

"So, just bronze eyeshadow?" I ask, hopeful.

"Oh, God, no. Not that simple. I'm thinking smoky eye with blue accents."

I roll my eyes. "I don't think that's considered 'simple', Chris," I say sarcastically.

She laughs and says, "Mar, you're up first."


	38. Chapter 38

"Don't you think it's a bit… much?" I ask my reflection.

"Tris, you look amazing. Stop worrying about it," Shauna says as she adjusts her eyeliner.

I take in my cherry red lips, my smoky eyes, and my curly hair cascading down my back. "The dress is shorter than I remember it," I continue.

She glances at me and does a double take. "Yeah, it does, huh? At least you have the tights."

"Fishnets," I correct.

"Tris," she groans.

"Do you think these heels are really necessary?"

"Christina, deal with your roomie!" Shauna calls from the bathroom.

Chris comes in holding two pair of shoes. "Should I go with these –" she holds up a pair of silvery, sparkly heels " – or these?" she asks as she demonstrates a pair of white platforms with black music notes on them.

"Oh, good question," muses Shauna. "I like the platforms because they match your nails."

Chris nods and sits on the toilet seat cover. "So why do I need to deal with Tris?"

"She's being self-conscious again," Shauna explains.

"The dress seems shorter than it did at the store," I justify.

"That's because I had them do some modifications. I only took off an inch and a half."

"Christina," I whimper.

"You'll thank me later, Tris."

"What about these heels?"

"They're cute. Stop complaining."

"But –"

"Tris," she says in a threatening tone.

I scowl and grab my headband. I offer it to her and she stands up. She's easily five inches taller and I'm balancing in six inch heels. She expertly places the headband in my curls and inspects her work, smiling. "You're ready," she declares. I walk out of the bathroom and see Mar sitting on my bed. My phone starts going off. I rush to it and see that Uriah is trying to FaceTime me.

"Mar, go to the bathroom, please. Your boyfriend is trying to get ahold of me and you know the rule," I smirk with a tad bit of irony.

She rolls her eyes and walks away as I answer.

After a few seconds, Uriah and Zeke appear on my phone.

"What's up, guys?" I ask.

"'What's up?' What's up with _you_? You look… older," Uriah says.

"What do you guys want?" I demand.

"Oh, right. Tris. We need you to talk to Four for us," Zeke informs me.

"Okay… what about?"

They glance at each other. "He's mad at us and wants to kill us," Zeke tells me.

"Why?"

They glance at each other again. Uriah bites his lip, hesitating. "Um. We told him some things –"

"As a joke," Zeke adds.

"As a joke," Uri agrees. "And he took them a little… hard."

"Well, what did you say to him?" I ask.

Zeke sighs. "We were teasing him… for being… _pure_ and we were making fun of… you." He says the last word quietly.

"Oh?" I say, narrowing my eyes. "You were making fun of me for being a virgin, right?"

"Zeke was," Uriah clarifies, earning a smack upside the head from his older brother.

I sigh. "Why do you want me to talk to him?" I rub my temples.

Uriah looks at Zeke. "Well, we're hoping that if you talk to him, he'll calm down," Uriah explains.

"And that I can finally go back to my own dorm room –" Zeke adds.

"Because you spend _so much_ time there, right?" I retort.

"Without the fear of being murdered," he finishes.

"Because you spend _so much_ time –" I repeat.

"I can't sleep at Shauna's and I'm tired of crashing with Uri and Will ," he points out.

"And whose fault's that?" I snap.

"Okay, okay, you two," Uriah intercepts, smacking Zeke in the stomach. "We need her to fix our friendship with him," he whispers. He turns his face back to his phone screen and to me. "Look, Tris. We're asking as friends, okay? Can you just talk to him to calm him down about the whole situation? Please?" He widens his brown eyes into a puppy dog face.

I groan. " _Fine_ ," I hiss. They both give sighs of relief. "But what am I supposed to say to him, exactly?"

Uriah shrugs as Zeke offers a half smile as he says, "That's your problem, sweetheart."

Out of nowhere, we hear, "I HEARD THAT, DICKWAD!"

Zeke's eyes grow in terror as Uriah laughs. "I love you, Shauna!" he quickly adds.

I laugh as she says, "Love you too, asshat."

"Okay, dorks, let me see what I can do. No guarantees, alright?"

"Whatever," Zeke says.

"Thanks, Tris. We'll owe you one," Uri says.

"You're gonna owe me two," I whisper.

"How you figure?" Zeke questions not-so-quietly.

" _Shh_. Compliment the girls on their nails when you see them. Pass that along to Will."

"Um, okay?" Uriah says.

"Just trust me, okay?"

"Alright, alright. We'll compliment them on their nails," Zeke agrees.

"Good. Okay, see you guys tonight."

"That you will, our dear Tris. That you will," Uriah concludes before the screen goes blank.

"Hey, Mar. Is that bet still valid?" I call out.

XxX

We walk into the clearing at 6:40 – 10 minutes after the party started. But it's evident that we aren't the only ones who are fashionably late; there are only about 15 people there, including the Pedrad brothers and Will, but… no Tobias.

I try to conceal my disappointment while I watch my friends reunite with their boy/girlfriends. I grab a Coke and see Chris walking up to me. She hands me a $10 bill and says, "Will just told me that he liked my nails. Figured I'd pay up." I smile as she walks away. Marlene comes up a minute later and Shauna comes up a moment after her. I sit down on the Gatorade cooler – seems like nobody wants one tonight – and watch the fire blaze.

"Hey, did you get the chance to talk to Four yet?" Uriah asks as he gets a beer.

I shake my head no. "How could I, Uri? I haven't seen him."

He nods his head understandingly. "Go to where the tree line meets the lake," he says quietly before walking back to Marlene. I glare at his retreating figure before standing up and leaving the clearing.

I walk over to where Shauna went skinny dipping the first time I played Truth or Dare with my new friends. It seems so long ago that it's hard to imagine that it was only a month and a half ago. There are only a couple of trees on the shore of the lake, but it gives the feeling of being on the beach and in a forest at the same time.

There is a figure standing next to a large tree, looking out onto the lake. I walk towards it as silently as I can.

The figure turns suddenly and I see that it's Tobias.

"Tris," he breaths as he crosses the seven feet that separates us before engulfing me in a tight hug.

I pull away a little and bring his lips to mine. We kiss for a moment before he pulls back. "God, I've been wanting to do that for too long," he mumbles before ducking his head to kiss my neck.

"I've missed you, Tobias," I whisper.

"Mm-hmm," he mumbles against my skin, trailing his lips down to my collarbone back up my neck to my jawline. He starts nibbling on my earlobe, causing me to giggle.

He pulls away and we both look at each other up and down.

"Wow," we both say at the same time.

He's wearing a deep green tank top and military-camo pants with black combat boots. He has a pair of Aviators on the neckline of his tank, and his muscles are more prominent than usual.

"Tris, you look… wow, amazing doesn't even begin to cover it. Shit."

I blush – thank God for the darkness – and say, "You don't look so bad yourself. I do love me a man in uniform." I wrap my arms around his neck loosely. He glances away from me. "Tobias?" He looks back at me and smiles. "Hey, what's wrong?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing."

"Tobias, you can tell –"

"Tris, I promise you, nothing is wrong." He smiles, but it looks a little tight to me. He grabs ahold of my hips and pulls me closer to him. "You know, I really do like this costume on you."

I smile. "Thanks, babe." I take a step back and notice how his eyes skim over the hem of my dress and to my fishnets.

"Those look nice," he comments. I laugh and take his hand.

"Calm down, big guy, and let's get back to the party," I say as I start to guide him back to the clearing.

"Tris." I stop and look at him. "I love you."

I kiss him softly. "I love you, too. Now let's go back, okay?"

He grins. "Alright."

On our walk back, I say, "Oh, so Uriah and Zeke want me to talk to you for them."

He stops short, tense. "They do?" he growls.

"Tobias," I say soothingly. "They also told me why –"

"I am going to kill them."

"Tobias," I say forcefully. He clenches his teeth, but stays silent. "They're your best friends. Shit, they're practically your brothers. That's what siblings do – they make fun of each other about their relationships. They feel really bad about it."

"Then they shouldn't've said it to begin with," he mumbles.

I take his face in my hands. "They obviously weren't thinking that you'd take them seriously. In fact, I'm even surprised that you took them seriously. There is _nothing_ serious about those two boys."

He offers me a small smile. "Are you mad at them?"

"Absolutely," I say. "But not because they were making fun of us. I'm mad that they've annoyed you to the point that _I_ have to fix their mess." I grin.

He shrugs half-heartedly. "I'll think about it."

I peck his cheek. "That's all I can ask of you. But try _not_ to kill Zeke when he ever decides to return to your room."

He laughs a real laugh. "Okay, I guess."

I smile. "Now can we get back to the party?"

He nods. "Okay."

XxX

 **Tobias' POV**

I almost tell her. I almost tell Tris that I'm going into the military. I have to tell her, but I panic. I know I need to tell her soon, but I just don't know how.

XxX

We walk back into the clearing hand-in-hand. The party's really packed now – seems like the whole school is here. It feels more cramped than usual, and fear consumes me. Tris stops walking and looks around before leading me to the least-populated area of the clearing. I sigh in relief.

"Stay here," she mumbles before slipping away from me. I watch her as she navigates through the crowd. I lose her quickly, though, when she ducks through a thicket of drunk kids. I try to look for her again, but I can't find her – not without going into the thickest of the crowd.

A moment later, she reappears, with Zeke in tow. And she looks _pissed_. Oh, shit.

She hauls Zeke and stands next to me.

He looks at me and offers a terrified smirk. "Hey, bro," he says nonchalantly. I narrow my eyes at him, and he looks at Tris. "I thought you said that he's forgiven me," he hisses.

"Zeke," she growls.

He groans. "Right, right. Look, Four, buddy, I'm sorry for what I said to you. Really am. I was just kidding and I didn't mean anything by it. Please forgive me," he practically begs.

I smirk a little. "Whatever, dude."

"Is that a yes?" He sounds hopeful.

"It means I'll think about forgiving you, but I won't murder you in your sleep."

He swallows. "Oh, okay. Thanks, Four."

I nod. "See you, fucker."

He rolls his eyes and walks away, presumably back to Shauna. I turn to Tris.

"What?" she asks innocently. "I thought that he should apologize."

I smile a crooked smile as I place my hands on her waist. My fingers almost touch on her back, and her skinniness worries me. "He has. Plenty. But thank you for making him say sorry."

She smiles as she wraps her arms around my neck, playing with my hair. It's grown out a bit and I may need to cut it again. She's making me crazy in ways I never thought a girl could make me.

"Are you going to force Uri to beg for forgiveness too?" I tease.

She shakes her head, her curls flying all over the place. "Nope."

I give her a perplexed look. "Why?"

Her expression is serious. "Because you've already forgiven him."

I raise an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"Because he told me where you were. He could've only gotten that from you, which means you weren't that mad at him to begin with."

I give her a shocked face. "What?" she squeaks.

"That's very Erudite of you," I say once I've regained my composure.

She rolls her eyes. "You sound like Christina." I smirk but she sighs. "I tested for three of the groups." My smirk falls.

"That's…different. Which ones?"

"Dauntless, Erudite, and Abnegation."

I smile. I may as well tell her. "Dauntless and Abnegation."

She looks up to me. "Excuse me?"

"Dauntless and Abnegation," I repeat. "Those were my results for the aptitude test."

She physically relaxes. "I thought I was the only one who tested for more than one group."

I shake my head. "Nah, there's a couple of others, but not many."

She opens her mouth to say something, but she's interrupted by a tipsy Christina.

"Trrriissssssssssyyy," she slurs. "You know, you're the greatest friend evvvvveerrrr?"

Tris smiles. It's one of my favorite smiles of hers. She only smiles like that when she's flattered or when she's being brave and selfless or –

"What do you want, Chris?" she says soothingly and understandingly.

"Dooo yoooouu miiiiind sleeeeeepiiing wiith Fooourr toniiiight?" she hiccups.

Tris scrunches her nose, the smile gone. She looks at me. "I'm more than fine with it," I say. She turns back to Christina and nods. Chris giggles and wraps Tris in a drunken hug. Tris shakes her head and returns it. Chris practically skips back to Will.

Someone bumps into me, almost making me lose my balance. The crowd is thickening and it's getting harder to breath.

Tris looks at me and interlocks our fingers. I shut my eyes and she starts to guide me around the party. We maneuver our way to the Halloween Treats table. She grabs a brown block, but I wrap my fingers around her wrist. She looks at me curiously.

"Amity brownies," I explain. She shakes her head, not understanding. "They put pot in them. That's why they're always happy." Her eyes widen and she places the brownie in a trash can.

I start getting antsy; I need to get out of here. I lean over to her and whisper, "Hey, do you wanna get out –"

"Beatrice?" a familiar voice says. I sigh and straighten up. _Beatrice_. The name sounds so wrong for her.

Tris purses her lips before turning around. "Hey, Caleb."

"Hey," he says, actually cheerfully. Yep, he's definitely eaten some of the brownies. Tris smiles at her brother. "You look… older." He narrows his eyes before smiling again.

Tris laughs. "Thanks, I guess." She actually seems happy to see him; usually she's more guarded.

"There you are, Caleb, I've been looking all over for you," a blonde girl comes over, wrapping her arm around his waist. It's pretty obvious that she's had a couple of Amity sweets as well. She turns to us. "Oh, you must be Beatrice. Caleb's told me so much about you." She turns to me. "Hey, Four."

I nod. "Cara," I say in acknowledgment. She's Will's older sister and she used to come over to talk to him during lunch when he was a freshman.

Tris' smile widens. "It's just Tris, actually," she politely corrects. "And it's so nice to meet you, Cara. You're so much prettier than my brother makes you out to be."

 _Not as pretty as you, Tris_ , I think to myself.

Cara blushes. "Oh, you're too sweet! Anyways, we should get going. We'll see you next week. Bye!" she says bubbly as she drags Caleb into the crowd.

She looks around. "Honestly, I don't understand why this is such a big deal."

I glance at her. "Me neither. I think it's because it's a school wide thing instead of just the Dauntless. And it's an excuse for people to pretend to be someone they're not."

She glances at me and grabs my hand. "I don't want to be anyone else," she whispers.

I run my thumb over her knuckles and shift my weight so I'm standing in front of her. I put my hand on her cheek, my hand taking the full length of the side of her face. I look deep into her steel blue eyes, allowing them to consume me like a blue flame. "Me neither."


	39. Chapter 39

**Hi, everyone! I have a REALLY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT SO I THINK YOU MAY WANNA READ THE AN IF YOU USUALLY DON'T.**

 **I have started another FanFic (which some of you may know about) on here called** _ **Love Doesn't Die**_ **(gotta give credit where credit is due: title cred goes to BooksLover2000). Here's the summary (summary editing cred also goes to BooksLover2000… who's awesome, btw, and has been dealing with me and my randomness):** _ **Nearly 16 years after the last page of Allegiant, a teenage girl is found wandering in the Fringe. Tobias is still healing from Tris' death so when he sees this girl, he's sent through a storm of emotions and memories. He tries to adjust to having a daughter who doesn't know what it's like to have a family and isn't even sure if she wants to find out.**_

 **But DO NOT WORRY,** _ **mis amigos**_ **; I am not giving up on this fanfiction. In fact, this is going to be really loooong (so if it starts to feel like it's dragging, do not hesitate to chew me out. I may cry but hey, be honest with me) to the point where it may or may not be multiple "books". Have yet to decide. But I'll figure it out. Eventually.**

 **Tris' POV**

I wake up with Tobias' arm around my waist. I'm only wearing one of his shirts over the lacy undergarments Christina had thrusted at me yesterday. I look over to his alarm clock and see that it's nearly noon.

We left the party soon after I met Cara for the first time – she seems really nice, but Tobias told me that she and Caleb were high off the brownies – because the clearing was getting too crowded. So, we got in my car and we went to the Pier for some last-second Trick-or-Treating until 2 in the morning. We snuck back into Factions somewhere around 3:30 and silently went to his room, falling asleep quickly after showering.

Now, I place my hand over Tobias' and snuggle closer to him. He's still sleeping deeply, snoring quietly in my ear. I smile to myself and try to drift off to sleep again. Within a few minutes, though, his arm tightens around me and his breathing increases. I open my eyes again and turn my head, looking over my shoulder to face him. His face is contorted with fear, eyes shut tightly. "Tris," he mumbles fearfully. "Marcus, stop, no." And then he really freaks me out. "TRIS!" he screams, tears starting to fall from his closed eyes.

I grab his shoulders, shaking him. "Tobias!" I yell. "Tobias, baby, wake up, _please_."

He's not waking up, just saying, "Stop, leave her alone," constantly, like a scratched record.

I throw my leg over him so I'm on top of him, straddling him, pinning him on his back to his bed. He's lashing at me, blindly throwing punches. I block them easily – he isn't really fighting me, he's fighting whoever is in his nightmare (Marcus). I wince and take a deep breath, slapping him across the face as hard I can.

His bloodshot eyes open with pure terror in them. He sees me on top of him, pinning him. I take his face in mine and he places one of his hands on my cheek, his pinkie and ring fingers slipping behind my ear. "You're okay," I murmur. "It was just a bad dream. You're okay, I'm okay. We're okay." His thumb skims my cheek bone and that's when I realize that I've been crying with him. His pain is my pain.

I lean my head against his hand before sits up and brings our lips together feverishly. I kiss him back as he bring my down so I'm lying on top of him, rolls over so that he was between my open legs, and pins me. My shirt rolls half-way up my stomach, so I'm only in my undies from the waist down. His hand slips from my face, down my ribs and stops at my hip bones. I can feel his… _ahem_ bulging against me. He works his way down my neck and the only thing I can think about how amazing he's making me feel. His hands start to guide my shirt up further when something in my brain snaps.

"Tobias," I moan. "Tobias, we… we need to stop." He rolls off of my and I look at him in his eyes and see a flash of disappointment, but then it's gone just as quickly as it came, replaced by guilt. He gets up. "Tobias –" I start.

"Tris, you don't need to explain. I'm going to take a cold shower and we'll go get some food, okay?" he says, his voice detached and cold.

"Yeah," I say, even though it wasn't. Tears sting the back of my eyes as he walks into the bathroom without another glance back.

What have I just done?

 **Uh oh. Anyways, real fast, another quick shout out to Fairyvixenmaiden who has also been dealing with me and my quirkiness.**

 **Thank you for reading, and please leave me reviews :)**


	40. Chapter 40

**Tobias' POV**

I nervously run my fingers through my hair. _Way to go, dumbass,_ I think to myself. How could I be so stupid? I promised her, I _promised_ her that we'd take it slow, but I just had to push my boundaries, didn't I? Shit.

I throw on some clothes and take a deep breath before opening the door, prepared to deliver the apology speech that I've been writing in my head while in the shower.

I never get the chance to tell her.

I open my door to an empty room. My bed is freshly made and there is a folded piece of paper on my pillow. I feel a sense of panic since she's missing as I rush to it. I immediately recognize Tris' elegant handwriting. _I'm sorry._

I fucked up and _she's_ sorry.

What have I done?

 **Tris' POV**

I wait until I hear his shower start before I start to make his bed for him. I move to his desk and find a piece of paper, quickly writing him two little words before folding it and placing it on his pillow, so he can find it easily.

I take one last glance around before opening his bedroom door and walking out.

I silently walk down the hallways, thankfully not running into anyone. I don't think I can handle seeing anyone at the moment.

I walk into my room, grateful that Christina isn't there. I slam the door shut and slide into a sitting position next to the threshold. I pull my knees up to my chest and curl into a ball.

What was I supposed to do? I couldn't go on with having…sex with him, not yet anyways. I certainly didn't want to lead him on. It was like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place… or a bed and a –

You know what, I'm not even gonna go there.

I hear giggling outside the door and I wince as the door opens.

"Tris shouldn't be back until later so we have plenty of –" Christina says as she walks in. Then she sees me. "Will, we need to hang out later, baby. Tris, sweetie, are you okay?" she asks as she closes the door – without waiting for an answer from Will – kneeling next to me. "Hey, what's wrong?" Her tone is similar to the kind you'd use with a crying child.

"I've just ruined everything," I say monotonously, dragging out each word. "I just ruined the best fucking thing in my life."

"Tris, you're not making any sense," she says, sitting across from me Indian style.

"He tried, Chris. He tried to have sex with me and… and I panicked. I pushed him away and now he hates me."

"I seriously doubt that, girly. He'd never hate you, even over something as small as this."

I shake my head. "Christina, you didn't see the look on his face when I told him we needed to stop." Tears sting the backs of my eyes.

She sighs as there's a banging on the door. "Tris, I know you're in there. Please let me in." It's Tobias. Christina looks at me and I shake my head.

She stands up and opens the door half-way. "She's not here," Chris lies. "I thought she was with you."

He sighs. "She was but she left abruptly, and I need to talk to her. I know you're lying to me, Christina, and I know she's in there. Tris, please talk to me."

"Let him in," I croak. Chris casts a glance at me before widening the door. Tobias steps in and sees me on the floor.

"I'll be in Shauna's and Mar's room," Christina says, not taking her eyes off of me. She shuts the door and Tobias sits down next to me.

"Tobias," I start. "I'm so sorry," I say slowly as I stand up. I start pacing and can feel his eyes on me.

"You shouldn't be," he says.

I stop short. "What?"

He stands up and puts his hands on my shoulders. "You. Shouldn't. Be," he says enunciating every word slowly and carefully. "You asked me to take things slow and I…" he trails off. "And I didn't respect that as well as I should've." He rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his. "Why did you just leave? You scare me half to death when you leave like that."

"I'm sorry," I say again. "It was just that… I was scared."

"Scared? Of what? Of _me_?" he asks, pain evident in his voice as he takes a step away from me.

I bite my lip as a lone tear falls from my eyes. "No, not of you," I say, choosing my words carefully. "I'm afraid…of _wanting_ you…" I turn away from him. I can't stand to see the look on his face now that he knows that I'm afraid of intimacy. He wraps his arms around my waist from behind, holding me close.

"Tris," he mutters in my ear. "I am so sorry. I promise you that we'll take things slow, until you're ready."

I lean into him a little. I smile to myself. "When I'm no longer afraid?"

"Whenever you're ready. I promise." He starts kissing my neck. "I love you," he mumbles against my skin.

"I love you, too." I turn around in his arms so I face him and I duck my head so it's resting in the crook of his neck. "You know, it's only Sunday. You wanna get out of here?"

I feel him grin. "Let's go."


	41. Chapter 41

**Sorry, but this chapter is just a series of FourTris one-shots. Just setting up for next chapter.**

November brings cold air with it, especially in Illinois. But I still want to go for it.

"Absolutely not," Tobias says, crossing his arms.

"Why not?" I counter, surprised by his answer.

"It's not safe. I don't have the right protection for you."

"I trust you."

He rolls his eyes. "Thank you, but I don't trust that other people won't hit us."

I scowl. "No body's gonna hit a motorcycle," I try.

He shakes his head. "Not until you have a jacket and a helmet."

"Tobias," I complain. "It's not necessary!"

"Tris," he warns. "Your safety is necessary and we aren't going on the bike until you have gear." I open my mouth to say more but he cuts me off. "End of discussion."

I narrow my eyes at him as he sighs, taking a step towards me and wrapping his arms around my waist. "Tell you what. We take your car and we'll go to the bike shop and get some gear, okay?" I consider this and nod. He shifts his hand and I feel something move from my pocket. He smirks. "But I'm driving."

XxX

We slide into the booth across from each other. I place the riding jacket next to me and smile at Tobias. "I'll admit, that was a lot more fun than I thought that it would be."

He laughs, smoothing out his helmet-hair. "I figured you'd like it."

We both grow silent as we go over the menu. Tobias took me to a new restaurant that opened recently, called the Pit. It splits into two parts, a bar and a restaurant. It's kind of dark but it's pretty cool.

"Tobias?" I ask.

"Hmm?"

"What are your plans for Thanksgiving?"

He looks up from the menu. "Zeke and Uri are dragging me to family dinner with Hana. Ever since their dad died, it's only been the three of them, and they want me there."

I let out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "Okay," I say, a smile playing at my lips.

"Why are you so happy about that?" he says, smirking.

I swallow and reach over, placing my hand on his. "Because I couldn't stand the thought of you being with Marcus."

He sets down the menu. "Tris, I'm not going to see Marcus again. I'm 18 and I'm never returning to that house."

"Good," I say as we both return to our menus. "Do you know what next weekend is?" I ask conversationally after a few moments.

"What?"

"Paintballing."

That gets his attention; he perks up. "Paintball?" he says excitedly, kind of like a small child who was told he could get _two_ candies.

I laugh. "Yeah, paintball."

"What's the theme this time?"

I rummage through my bag. "Umm… Capture the Flag." He makes a face. "Why are you making that face?"

He sighs. "Amar's going to make every student in Dauntless go, separated only by PE periods, which means –"

"Eric and Peter will be there," I finish.

He nods. "Exactly. Luckily for us, though, Amar and I make the teams." His midnight blue eyes gleam with trouble, but not in a bad way; in the mischievous way, I guess.

I smirk. "I guess next weekend just got a whole lot more interesting then, huh?"

XxX **(AN: No, there will not be an accident in** _ **this**_ **scene, so R and R if you will.)**

We walk out of the Pit, hand in hand. We stop by his bike and I slip my arms through the riding jacket, which is just like a leather jacket with _really_ thick leather. Tobias hands me my new helmet – that he bought, despite my numerous protests – and I put it on. It's a full-face helmet and it's like Tobias', only mine's a shiny black with elegant blue paint on it whereas his is just flat black.

He puts on his gloves and turns to me, flipping my visor up. "Do you trust me?" he asks, mischief in his eyes.

"Yes," I say, my voice muffled by the helmet. I nod, just for confirmation.

He smirks – "Hold on tight, then," he says – and puts on his helmet. I flip my visor back down and climb on the bike after him. I wrap my arms around his middle tightly.

He pulls on the highway, going the opposite way of Factions. I question it a little, but I trust him.

Soon enough, we get outside of Chicago's city limits and the speed limit spikes from 60 mph to 75. ( **I dunno if this is true, for I've never been to Chicago before, but that's kinda how it is where I'm from so eh.)**

He slows down a little, dropping to 50 mph, before revving the engine and we surge forward quickly. I tighten my hold on him as the front wheel comes up, popping a wheelie. I start giggling and the wheel comes back down on the asphalt as Tobias accelerates to just past 75. After a few miles, he gets off the interstate and gets back on, heading back towards Factions.

XxX

He parks the motorcycle in the spot next to my car and we get off. I pop the trunk of the Mustang and we put our riding gear in it for safe-keeping. I slam it down and we walk to the dorms.

I sleep in his room again, because I've realized that I don't get nightmares as often as I used to before I started spending the nights with him. I guess he really can fight off my nightmares; I'm going to try to do the same for him.

 **Okay, if you're confused by that, remember, he was having a nightmare before he tried to do the dirty with Tris. #justsaying**

 **That's just something one of my friends and I do when we're being honest with each other. It's like the only time I say "Hashtag" for something. Anyways, I'll update when I can, and please please please check out my other fanfic,** _ **Love Doesn't Die**_ **, if you haven't already. I'll be updating that story again soon.**

 **Bye, love y'all.**


	42. Chapter 42

**In honor of my birthday – which was technically yesterday – I am gifting to YOU, my dear reader, an update.**

 **Tris' POV**

It's well into Saturday night when we finally walk into the Pit for a victory dinner. Uriah and Zeke are singing "We are the Champions" as Marlene and Shauna record them, hardly containing their laughter. Christina is showing off the paintball-stained flag to anyone who'd pay attention and Will stares at her lovingly. Tobias and I walk in last hand-in-hand. We won Capture the Flag against Eric and his team – which consisted of Peter, Drew, and Molly – and they weren't pleased. In fact, the words "pissed off" don't even begin to describe how heated and jealous they were.

Everyone is sporting a new blemish on their skin. We all have paint on us because Uri and Zeke decided to shoot us after the game, kind of like how a football team drenches their coach with Gatorade after a victory. Ironically, they're covered in the most paint because the six of us turned our guns to them and pelted them, too. I'm sure tomorrow we'll all have bruises and welts of some kind, especially since Chris', Will's, Uri's, and Shauna's skin have started darkening into light bruises with some occasional swelling.

We slide into one of those huge booths, the ones that are shaped in a "U" so that everyone can sit together. Marlene is resting her head on Uriah's shoulder, Will has his arm around Christina, Shauna is practically in Zeke's lap, and Tobias is tracing my knee under the table. Our waiter comes and takes our numerous orders before disappearing again. I lean into Tobias and I am so happy to be here, in this moment, with my best friends. It feels as if we are untouchable.

XxX

I wake up in my room. I'm confused for a moment – I haven't slept in here on the weekends for a while now. I look around. I vaguely recall Tobias carrying me here last night, but I can't think of why he wouldn't carry me to his room.

Just then, the door to the en suite opens and he walks out in a pair of dark skinny jeans, the waistband of his boxers showing a little. And that's it. My heart quickens a little at the sight of him.

"Oh, good, you're up," he says cheerfully. I smile.

"Why are we here?" I ask, curiously. He cocks his head a little. "Why aren't we in your room?"

He looks down and sits on my bed in front of me. "You remember how Zeke and Shauna left early?" I nod. "They didn't make it to her room."

I blush. "Oh," is all I say. I get up and I feel his eyes on me. "I'm gonna go get ready then."

I walk into my bathroom and shut the door. I can hear him chuckle to himself as I start to get ready.

XxX

" _Oh no, it's your mom calling! What does she want, what does she waaaant?"_ my phone goes off.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Hey, Beatrice," my mother says.

"Hi, Mom. What's up?" I lean back against Tobias' chest and his arms snake around my middle, resting on my stomach. I put my arm on his knee, which is next to me. **(Okay, I don't really know how to explain this through Tris' POV, so, basically, Tobias has his legs spread open and Tris is sitting between them. If you've seen** _ **The Longest Ride**_ **, it's how Luke and Sophie sit when they're reading Ira's letters to Ruth. I'm sorry, but I don't really know how to word it…)**

"So, I've been speaking to your father and we think that you should invite Four to come over for Christmas. We would've invited him for Thanksgiving, but I'm sure that he has plans with his family already –"

"Mom," I interrupt. "I'll ask him. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Of course," she says. I can hear the smile in her voice.

"Tobias," I mutter.

"Hm?"

"My mom wants to know if you would like to come home with me and Caleb for Christmas."

He grins. "Absolutely." I smile back at him.

"Mom, you there?" I ask.

"His name is Tobias?"

I pale. "Excuse me?" I ask.

"Well, I thought I heard – well no matter. What did he say?"

I scowl. "He says that he'd love to."

"Great. Okay, Beatrice. We'll talk to you soon. I need to tell your father. I love you."

"Yeah, love you too. Bye." I hang up.

"Tris, you okay?" Tobias asks. I scoot closer to his chest.

"I think my mom heard me call you _Tobias_ ," I grumble guiltily.

"Okay?" he says. "Why are you upset by that?"

I twist a little. "Because it's not my secret to tell."

His expression becomes serious. "Tris, I plan on being around for a long while. I think your parents can learn my name."

I smile and tilt my head so it's resting on his shoulder. "I love you," I say.

I feel his lips on my neck. "I love you, too."

 **Please review. I know, it's getting kind of slow, but bear with me, I'm gonna liven things up a bit. It's just going to take some time and probably some time jumps. Also, work is crankin' so… yeah. I'll update when I can. Love y'all.**

 **Again, please review.**


	43. Chapter 43

**Hey y'all. I am** _ **so**_ **sorry about not updating, but work's been crazy as fuck. So, for the last week or so, the only thing I could think of regarding this fanfic was "what the fuck am I going to write to build up 'til Thanksgiving?" and then I gave up. So TIME SKIP! Basically, the last… three weeks? Eh, three weeks in the story is just school. Boring. Nothing interesting. This chapter? Plenty interesting. *smiles wickedly***

 **Anyways, check out my profile, I've got some interesting news on it regarding updates that I'm way too lazy to repeat on here. Also the link to the pitiful pin-along is on my profile, too.** _ **And**_ **it's up-to-date.**

 **I cannot believe that this fanfic has 50,789 views, 167 followers, 109 favorites, and 198 reviews! I'm so happy and I love you guys, you guys are great *heart eyes***

 **Tris' POV, the Friday before Thanksgiving**

I'm leaning against my car and Tobias is standing in front of me, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. "I'm going to miss you," he murmurs in my ear. I smile a little.

"I know. I'm gonna miss you, too. At least it's only for a week and a few days. Besides," I pull back and grin innocently, "we can FaceTime."

He offers me a sad smile. "Yeah, you're right," he states. I place my hand on his cheek and brush my lips against his lightly.

"I love you," I murmur.

"I love you, too. See you soon," he says back.

XxX

"Mom? Dad?" I call out, my voice echoing in the entryway of our house.

"Maybe they're in the backyard," Caleb suggests with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. It's freezing now in Chicago, indicating that winter has come, so he is _not_ helping. I narrow my eyes at him and he makes a face at me.

"I'll check the kitchen," I tell him as I make my way to my destination. I see my mother cooking something – by the smell of it, she's making her very popular apple pie – it's from a family recipe, passed down from mother-to-daughter in her family. She has earphones in and she's swaying her hips ever so slightly to whatever she's listening.

I smile and I cup my hands around my mouth. "MOM!" I yell.

She jumps and spins around. She grins at the sight of me and pulls her headphones out. "Beatrice!" she shouts, engulfing me in a tight hug. "My, my. It feels like it has been forever since Visiting Day, doesn't it?"

I choke out a laugh as tears tickle the backs of my eyes. "Yes."

"Hi, Mom," Caleb chirps.

"Oh, Caleb, my dear," my mom says as she hugs him as well.

I smile and hear my father coming down the stairs. "Is that Beatrice and Caleb I hear?" he shouts excitedly as he walks into the kitchen.

"Dad!" I cry out, rushing to him. I wrap my arms around him.

Caleb comes up behind me and I pull away so he can hug our father. I stand next to my mother and smile at the sight of my family, together once again.

XxX **the Sunday before Thanksgiving**

I'm sitting in front of the raging fire in the living room with my family, adding songs to my Spotify. It's pouring outside and, occasionally, lightning will flash through the window and thunder will rumble. I've always loved thunderstorms; I've always felt like they were fierce and elegant at the same time.

Dad gets up to go use the restroom. Caleb is reading some thick novel while Mom is watching some home buying show that involves two brothers, one being a realtor, the other being a contractor. The homeowners in the show are unhappy with their old house so realtor brother shows them new houses while contractor brother fixes up the old house. It's pretty interesting, if you're into home-improvement shows. **(AN: It's called "Buying and Selling".)**

I cross my legs, Indian style, when my phone buzzes in my hand, signaling that I have a text from…Zeke? Zeke never texts me. Something must be wrong.

 _Plz tell me 4's w u_

I scowl at my phone. _**Um I thought he was with you?**_

 _SHIT_

My eyes widen. _**Zeke wtf is going on? Where's Four?**_

 _He told mom that he was going out for a ride a couple of hours ago, before the storm came through. So we figured he wanted to see u_

 _ **Zeke it's pouring now! Something could've happened, especially on the bike!**_ I'm in full panic mode. _Where can he be?_ I wonder anxiously.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Mom asks.

I shake my head ever so slightly. "Four's missing. He was supposed to be with our friend Zeke but Zeke just texted me that Four's been gone for hours now," I explain frantically, getting up from the couch.

"In this storm?" Caleb says skeptically.

I nod, swallowing hard. I look at my phone, and still no answer from Zeke. I walk into the other room, so my family cannot hear me and I call Tobias.

 _Ring._ Please pick up. _Ring._ Tobias, pick up. _Ring._ God dammit, Tobias, answer the damn phone. _"Hey, it's Four. Sorry I couldn't answer, but leave a message. If I like you, I might call back."_ Fuck!

"Tobias James Eaton, I swear to God, you _need_ to call me back _as soon as you get this fucking message_. You hear me, as soon as you get this God damned message. Zeke and I are freaking the fuck out because you're missing. Call me," I growl into the phone, trying – and probably failing – to hide the fact that I'm sick with worry.

I call Uriah.

"Tris?" he answers worriedly halfway through the second ring.

"Uri, have you guys heard anything?"

"No. Mom's calling his phone, Zeke's trying to see if he can track it."

I'm already shaking my head. "I think he blocked all tracking on it."

"You have got to be fucking me," Uriah says monotonously.

"Uriah!" someone that sounds like Hana scolds.

"Sorry, Mom. Tris just told me Four blocked the tracking," Uriah explains.

"Fuck, no wonder I can't find him," Zeke yells.

"Ezekiel!"

"Mom, my best friend is out in a thunderstorm and we can't find him!" Zeke yells, his voice cracking.

I can hear hushed voices. "Uri, keep me in the loop. I'll… I'll –"

 _Ding-dong!_

"Who on earth would be out in this weather?" Dad muses, clueless, seeing as he just came out of the restroom, as I rush to the front door. I yank it open and have never been so happy and livid in my life. "Tobias," I mouth, unsure how my voice would react – happily, relieved, pissed, or however else.

"Tris?" Uriah asks through my phone, confused by my unfinished sentence.

"He's here," I say simply and emotionlessly as I hang up.

Tobias stands in front of me, his hair dripping, his shoulders hunched, his jacket weighed down by water. He looks haggard and older and younger at the same time. He has bags under his eyes and his eyes are red and swollen and look watery. Or maybe that's the rain? He's unsteady on his feet.

"H-hi, Tris," he stammers, lightning cracking behind him.

The thunder rolls quickly after, and he collapses, his body falling towards me.

 **What? What happened? Where was he and why was he out in the storm? *laughs* I know all the answers to these questions and you will find out (hopefully) in the near future. I love all y'all and thanks for reading!**

 **PS, thank you, Guest (whoever you might be), for wishing me a happy birthday. It was sweet of you :)**

 **Be brave and please review.**


	44. Chapter 44

_I yank_ the door _open and have never been so happy and livid in my life. "Tobias," I mouth, unsure how my voice would react – happily, relieved, pissed, or however else._

" _Tris?" Uriah asks through my phone, confused by my unfinished sentence._

" _He's here," I say simply and emotionlessly as I hang up._

 _Tobias stands in front of me, his hair dripping, his shoulders hunched, his jacket weighed down by water. He looks haggard and older and younger at the same time. He has bags under his eyes and his eyes are red and swollen and look watery. Or maybe that's the rain? He's unsteady on his feet._

" _H-hi, Tris," he stammers, lightning cracking behind him._

 _The thunder rolls quickly after, and he collapses, his body falling towards me._

Miraculously, I'm able to catch him and prevent him from hitting the hard floor. I catch the smell of rain and something metallic-like. I can see the back of his neck and part of his back and it looks like his skin had gone through a paper shredder numerous times before being carelessly placed back on his back.

"Mom, Dad, Four's hurt!" I holler, trying to drag him inside. My father and brother rush to the entryway and each grab one of Tobias' arms. By the way his head rolls from one side to the other, he's unconscious. They take him to the kitchen, where my mother had cleared the island, and gently place him on it. My mother and father both look strangely calm as Caleb wraps an arm around my middle to keep me from getting in the way. I struggle against him – I should be there next to him, helping – as my mother gets a pair of scissors and waits for my father to remove Tobias' jacket. The back of his t-shirt is in shreds and she doesn't need to cut it off. His tattoo is unrecognizable; I can't even make out Evelyn's name on the cross. My legs give out and I would have fallen if Caleb hadn't been holding me. It's a miracle he was even able to make it to my house.

My brother gently places me on the floor and tears spill onto my cheeks. "He promised me… he promised he wouldn't go back…" I murmur to myself. Because I know the only way for him to get those wounds is because he went back to his childhood home.

I have so much hatred towards Marcus Eaton, I could kill him.

Caleb watches me intensely. "You know what happened, don't you, Beatrice?" he asks me quietly.

I nod slowly without removing my eyes from the lifeless lump of a person in my kitchen. The love of my life…

I start shivering uncontrollably. I'm not cold, I'm scared. Scared and angry. I'm scared that Tobias is hurt and I'm angry that he went back to his house, I'm angry that he got hurt and I'm angry he broke his promise to never go back. What could have been so damn important for him to go back? And why the hell didn't he answer his phone?

Caleb notices my shivers and gets up. I wonder where he's going but cannot bring myself to tear my eyes away from my mother and father. My mother appears to be disinfecting the deep lashes on his back. They're murmuring to each other.

Caleb returns and blocks my view of them. I shift my weight, trying to see around him but he mirrors me. He wordlessly hands me a cup of water and I tentatively take it in my hands. He gives me a pointed look and I tilt the cup to my lips. The water tastes different – weird even – but I finish it. Satisfied, Caleb stands and, out of nowhere, my eyelids feel heavy and my vision blurs…

XxX

I wake up Monday with a stiff neck. I tilt it to the side and it cracks loudly. I look down and notice that I'm the same pair of sweats and Tobias' hoodie as I was yesterday. His hoodie smells more like him now than it did when I first put it on, with a hint of rain and…blood?

Last night's events come flooding back to me so quickly, my head hurts and my stomach turns. I rush to my en suite and heave bile. I quickly brush my teeth and redo my bun, not bothering to brush my hair. The only thing that I care about is if Tobias is okay.

I rush down the stairs, nearly tripping over my own two feet, and find Tobias asleep on the sofa. My mother is sitting in the love seat as my father sleeps in the recliner. I step on the one part of the floor where the wooden planks creak, causing my mother to stop watching Tobias with a watchful eye and whip her head to see me. She puts a finger to her lips, stands up, and beckons me to come with her. She brushes past me and I cast a long glance at Tobias' sleeping form, and, when I'm convinced he's okay, I follow her to the kitchen.

A wave of bleach assaults my nose, causing my eyes to water. The entire kitchenette looks clean and sterile, especially the island and kitchen sink.

My mother pulls up two stools, sitting in one. She looks at me expectantly and I know what we're about to talk about, but I sit across from her anyways.

"Beatrice –"

"I know what you're going to say, Mom, but it's his secret to share, not mine," I blurt out.

She smiles. "Tobias already explained everything to your father and me," she says gently.

I wince. She says his name carefully, like she's familiar with the name, but not the person. I think that there is a hint of pity in her voice.

"Mama?" I ask quietly. "Is he okay?"

She sighs. "He lost quite a lot of blood; I don't know how he was able to drive that motorcycle here without passing out sooner. Your father and I were worried that he had caught a cold or worse, pneumonia **(AN: I don't actually know if you can catch either one of these in the rain, but that is what I've been told as a kid…so yeah)** because his immune system would have been fighting off the bacteria that was getting into the wounds. His body went into shock, kind of like yours before Caleb gave you the sleeping pills and water." Tears are running down my cheeks silently. It's bad. It has to be. Why would she be explaining all of this to me if he was okay? "But your father and I were able to disinfect the lashes. We gave him plenty of vitamin C, along with the sleeping pills and gave him plenty of blankets. He's going to be staying here for at the very least a couple of days so we can keep an eye on him, to make sure he doesn't get sick or go back into shock. He took quite a beating." I wipe the tears away, only to have more replace them.

"He could have been seriously hurt, couldn't he?" I ask in a small voice.

My mother takes my hands. "Beatrice, I think he could have di –"

"Don't," I snap. I soften my tone. "Please don't… say that." Mom offers me a small smile, but doesn't say anything. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, sweetheart," she says.

"How – how did you and Dad know what to do? Why didn't you insist on taking him to the hospital?"

She subtly chews her cheek. "Your father and I… we are quite educated, Beatrice. I've done my fair share of first aide in my lifetime and your father… is a brilliant man. That's all you need to know about us." I refrain from sighing. It's the standard "don't ask about us" answer my brother and I usually get when we ask about our parents. "We didn't take him to the hospital because we didn't want to transport him when we're perfectly capable of helping him. Furthermore, we didn't know what had happened, so how would we have explained to the doctors what happened?" I nod. It's valid reasoning. "Beatrice?"

"Yes?"

"That young man really cares about you."

I look deep into my mother's eyes. They're the same steel blue-gray as mine, but hers are sterner. Like she's seen a lot in her life, and maybe she has. I don't know much about my parents. "Why do you say that, Mom?"

She grins at me. "Because when he finally woke up, he looked around frantically, searching for you. He had just regained consciousness and he was more worried about where _you_ were and if _you_ were okay than his own wellbeing. I'd even dare say that he loves you." I feel the heat creep up my neck. "And I'm willing to bet that you love him."

I look down into my lap. "I do."

She opens her mouth to say something, but we both hear a groan from the other room. She and I both stand quickly and rush to the living room. I see Tobias trying to roll of the couch, but he looks like he's in excruciating pain. "Whoa, there, big guy," I say. "You need rest."

He looks at me groggily and a sleepy grin is plastered on his face. "Hey."

I smile back, but it's a little forced. I hadn't forgotten about my panic and anger yesterday. "Hi."

His smile falls a little. "I guess I have some explaining to do."

I give him a look as if to say "You think?" He sighs.

"What do you want to know?" he asks.

I sit down on the floor next to him. I notice that my mother wakes up my father and guides him up the stairs, giving me an understanding look, and leads him to their bedroom. I pull my legs up to my chest and look back at Tobias, who's looking at me expectantly.

"Where did you go?" I start off easily.

"I think you already know." I don't respond. "I went back to Marcus' house."

I swallow and keep my voice level. "Why?"

He winces – because of my question or because of his back, I don't know. "I forgot to grab a photo album and this stupid blue sculpture my mother gave me when I was like 7. I didn't think to grab it two summers ago, but I decided that I really wanted them. They're the only things I have left of her, you know? Other than my tattoo. Anyways, when he wasn't away in D.C., like for holidays, Sundays used to be the days that Marcus went out on, from 2 in the afternoon until late at night, so I thought I could sneak in, grab my shit, get out, and no one be the wiser. I hadn't anticipated him coming home."

I mentally cringe and prepare myself for what I know is coming. I have to be strong… for him. Even if I am pissed off at him.

He licks his lips nervously and shuts his eyes, trying to hide the pain I caught a glimpse of. "I had taken off my jacket and had my back turns towards him. I felt the belt hit me before I heard him. I had fallen because it took me by surprise, and he just kept hitting me. 'How dare you come back!' he had yelled. 'How dare you return here, unannounced, to steal from me! Your own father!' He kept hitting me with it, the pain nearly unbearable. 'This is for your own good, Tobias," he growled at me. I don't remember what happened much after that – I must have blacked out. But I remember where you told me where you lived and Marcus house is only a few minutes away from here. I didn't want to go to the hospital, so I put the jacket back on and came over here. And that's when I passed out."

I nod, remembering. "You should've brought someone with you," I murmur. He opens his eyes defiantly, but outstretches a hand to put it on my knee.

"I know that now. I just didn't think I'd be in this predicament," he says softly, conceding. He shifts on the sofa and his face contorts with pain. I sigh.

"Did you get your stuff at least?" I ask. I mean, if he went through that pain, he had to at least have succeeded.

He shakes his head ruefully. "No. I rushed out of the house."

I glance down, thinking. "How come you didn't answer you phone?"

His eyes widen and he removes his hand off my knee to pat his pockets. "Tris, can you check my jacket pockets for my cell?"

Wordlessly, I get up and go to the coat closet – yes, my family has a freaking coat closet, get over it – and find his favorite leather jacket hanging. I check all the pockets and find nothing. I walk back over to him and shake my head. "It's not there."

He groans. "Fuck. It must have fallen out of my pocket at Marcus' house." He tries to get up and, this time, I help him. "I need to go get it."

"Absolutely not. You, Tobias, are on bedrest. And that is _exactly_ where you're going."

"Tris, I need my phone –"

"Tobias," I say warningly. "I understand that. But you're not going anywhere other than to bed. We both can go, together, and get it as soon as you're better. Do you understand me?"

He sighs. "Tris –"

"Don't you _dare_ 'Tris' me, Tobias. Not after the fucking panic you sent me through." My voice is getting angrier with each word so I take a deep breath. "Now, c'mon," I say, taking his hands. I lead him up the stairs slowly before taking him to my bedroom, leaving the bedroom door ajar – I so do not need my parents freaking out because I'm behind closed doors with, gasp, a boy, even though I am all the time, but whatever. My room's pretty simple, since we had just moved in a month and a half before I started at Factions. White walls, a colorful comforter over a King sized bed, a simple desk and bookcase, a long dresser. Nothing exceptional, but, judging by his smile, Tobias likes it.

I have Tobias lie down on the bed. He shifts until finding a comfortable position and he looks at me. "Tris?"

"Yes?"

"Can you maybe…?" he trails off and I smile. I'm still flustered over this entire situation, but I cannot possibly deny him when he wants me to be next to him. I walk over to him and lie down next to him. He wraps an arm protectively around my middle.

I grab my phone and text Zeke and Uriah. _**Just wanted to let you both know that Four's okay. He's at my house. He might not make it home for Thanksgiving. But he's fine. Please pass this along to Hana.**_ I hesitate before adding _**He doesn't have his phone at the moment, but we're going to go get it soon. Don't ask me what happened; it's his secret to tell. Will send more updates.**_ I try to show it to Tobias for approval, but he's already fast asleep. I wonder how many milligrams of sleeping pills my parents gave him…

I send the message and turn my phone on silent, knowing that the Pedrad brothers will text me, asking me questions, despite me telling them not to. Sure enough, my phone screen lights up, but I ignore it.

I'm not exactly tired so I start humming an old lullaby that my mother used to sing to me when I couldn't sleep when I was little, especially during my "Bloody Mary" phase. Even though I just woke up an hour ago, my eyelids soon find themselves closing yet again, pulling me into a peaceful sleep.

 **So this is a pretty clichéd chapter, I guess, but let me know what you think of it. PLEASE BE BRUTAL! If you hate it, let me know, and I'll rewrite it! Honestly, I won't be upset! Okay, that's a lie; I'll be a little upset but that's beside the point. I need my readers to be happy, so tell me what you think. YOUR OPINIONS MATTER TO ME! Love you all.**

 **Be brave and please review.**


	45. Chapter 45

**So I guess I have some explaining to do…**

 **It's the same old story: work got busy, school got hectic, finals came up, blah blah blah. I'm really sorry for not being around, but life got in the way just a bit. I'm going to try to update some more this week (including my other fanfic), but I cannot make any promises. I have not forgotten this story and I will not, I repeat,** _ **I will not give up on this story**_ **. I may not update for a while but I will not give up on this unfinished. Okay? Alright.**

 **Another thing: no, I haven't forgotten about Tobias joining the military. It's just not important YET. Please keep it in mind though. It is going to come up.**

 **Without farther ado…**

Tobias' POV (Monday before Thanksgiving)

I wake up with Tris in my arms in the late afternoon. At first, I'm confused. _Why am I with Tris?_ I try to lie on my back, a sharp, stabbing pain erupting throughout my body. The events of going to Marcus' house to retrieve the only belongings from my less-than-wonderful childhood I can truly call my own. Why hadn't I thought to grab them when I left that God-forsaken building the last time?

I unwillingly let out a groan and Tris stirs slightly in her sleep. I look at her, losing the feeling in my fingertips. I cannot help but to smile. A year ago, I never would have thought I was capable of loving, let alone being loved.

I think back to this morning. Tris made me promise that I would take her with me when I go back to get my stuff. I cannot stand the thought of putting her in that situation. Since Marcus came back while I was there, who's to say he won't return if she were with me. I can't put her in that danger.

Tris stirs again and twists in my arms to face me, chest-to-chest. I can see how much she loves me by the way she looks at me. I hope she knows how much I love her.

"Good afternoon," I say with a smile.

Her brow furrows in worry. "How's your back?"

I sigh. "I'm fine, Tris. It isn't something I can't survive." To prove my case, I sit up and lean back against her pillows, biting back another painful moan and keeping back any form of a wince. It's a trick I learned to master while living with Marcus. I had to go to school the day after a beating and I had to keep my pain a secret from everyone but myself. "See?" I ask her. "Perfectly fine."

She bites her lip, uncertain, and I feel a twitch in my pants. God, this girl is going to be the death of me. I subtly take a deep breath to calm down.

"So, babe," I start. I need to talk her out of coming with me to get my stuff. "About this morn – "

"If you actually think you're going to be able to talk me out of going with you to Eaton's house, you've got another thing coming, Tobias," she growls.

"But –" I try.

"No buts. If you don't want me going with you, I'm going to tell my parents, and they sure as hell won't let you get them," she threatens. "They will make you wait and at that point, they are as good as gone." I narrow my eyes at her and harden my features and she twists her body to face me. She clenches and unclenches her jaw and takes one of my hands in her lap. She lightly traces the lines in my palm, but I think it's more for her benefit than mine. "I almost lost you, Tobias," she whispers. "I almost lost you to that monster and… I wasn't there. I wasn't there and I couldn't help you." I hate it when she talks like that. It reminds me that she's vulnerable. She looks into my eyes, her stormy eyes piercing into my soul. "I… I can't risk losing you again." Tears rim her eyes and it breaks my heart.

I put one hand on her cheek and grip her hand in the other. "I can't risk losing you, either," I say gently. "And that's what I'm doing if I let you near that house. I'm putting you in danger. If anything were to happen to you, I couldn't…I wouldn't be able to live with myself." I drop my hand from her face and my gaze, unable to look her in the eyes.

I hear her sigh as she puts her hands on either side of my face. I look into her eyes and I no longer see any vulnerability in her eyes; instead, it is replaced by determination. "If we go together," she says, "we can protect each other."

I swallow. I can see there is no real way out of this. "Okay. But we need to go soon, before Marcus realizes the leverage he holds over me."

She sucks on her bottom lip. "How soon?"

"Tonight."

"Tonight?" she hisses, her eyes widening.

"Tonight," I repeat. "The sooner, the better."

"Will you be okay? With your back?"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Tris, I'll be fine."

She runs a hand through her hair nervously before looking back at me. "My parents usually go to bed around 9:30. We can sneak out at 10, but we need to be back by midnight."

I let out a gust of air. "Alright."

XxX

Tris' POV

"Okay, kids, we're going to bed," Mom says when 9:27 rolls around. "Four, dear, will you be okay in the spare bedroom?" After our little nap, Tobias and I had asked my parents to keep calling him by his nickname, which, thankfully, they complied.

"Yes, of course, Natalie," he says with a grateful smile. "I cannot thank you or Andrew enough for letting me stay here."

My mom smiles sweetly. "Don't you even worry on it, dear. Goodnight."

Together, Caleb, Tobias, and I called out a chorus of goodnights as my mother meets my father upstairs. Caleb turns his attention back to his book and Tobias and I turn our attention back to the TV. A few minutes later, Caleb sits up, groaning. "Alright, Bea, Four, I'm going to bed. I suggest you both do the same. After all –"

"An early slumber means an early rise, and an early rise means the day can start sooner," I finish. Tobias gives me a questioning glance. "Our godmother used to tell us that to get us to go to bed whenever she babysat us."

"Goodnight, Beatrice," Caleb says pointedly.

"Night, bookworm," I call out as I put my head on Tobias' shoulder. "Now," I whisper. "We wait."

"How long?" he murmurs as Caleb shuts his bedroom door quietly.

I sigh and glance at the clock. 9:42. "Fifteen minutes. Tops. How far is the house?"

"About five blocks west."

I sit up straighter and cross my legs, Indian style. "So we could walk there?"

Tobias makes a face. "Hypothetically, yes. Why?"

"Well, neither of our vehicles are what we can call quiet and Caleb takes his keys up with him when he goes to bed. So –"

"Walking is our only option," he finishes. "Great."

I put my hand on his knee. "Hey. We're going to be fine. We'll get in, get your stuff, get out, and get on with our lives."

He releases a shaky breath and gives me a smile. "Simple as that?"

"Simple as that," I say confidently.

Soon enough, we get up and sneak out of my front door into the night. We walk the deserted streets silently. Tobias looks a little on-edge as he navigates the roads. Within half an hour, we turn down what I hope is the last street. Tobias is absolutely rigid, constantly clenching and unclenching his jaw. I take his hand in mine and he sighs.

"It's right ahead," he mumbles. Sure enough, right in front of us is a generic two story home. All the lights are out and its presence alone seems eerie and chilling.

I give his hand a squeeze. "What's the best way to get it?"

"He locks all the doors and windows downstairs. He's usually pretty consistent about locking the upstairs, too, but the lock in the upstairs guest bathroom doesn't work." He hesitates. "I can give you a boost up and get up on my own."

I nod. "Lead the way."

He gives me a short nod before guiding me to the left side of the house. Part of the roof hangs low, just above Tobias' head. He bends over and cups his hands together. I place my foot on his joined hands and he lifts me up. I pull myself over the edge and find my balance. Tobias takes a couple steps back and takes a running jump. He pulls himself up onto the roof next to me, making the movement look effortless. Until, that is, he brushes his back on his landing. He groans unwillingly and has to take a moment to recover.

"Babe?" I ask.

"I'm fine, Tris," he says.

I shake my head. "Which room was yours?"

"Make a left, second door, but Tris –"

""I'm just going to get a head start, okay? Take your time," I say, getting up and sliding through the window. I land soundlessly on the bathroom floor in a crouch. I brush my hair out of my face and slip out into the hall. I make a left and go to the second door. The door is shut, so I try the knob. The door isn't locked, so I push it open. It creaks ever so slightly, but gives no resistance.

I tiptoe through the doorway and shut the door. I turn on the light and glance around. The bedroom feels more like a prison cell, which, for Tobias when he was growing up, it kind of was. There was a double bed with dingy, white sheets in one corner, a fair-sized trunk sits at the foot of it, a wooden wardrobe next to the closet and a simple desk in the opposite corner. The only color in the room is an intricate blue, glass sculpture on the desk next to a thick, dark grey book that looks suspiciously like a photo album. I pick it up gently and see something black on the floor out of the corner of my eye. I turn and see that it is Tobias' phone. I pick it up and slide it in my back pocket. The door creaks again as I scoop up the photo album. "Babe, I got the pictures," I say, looking up and turning around. "So, you get the –" The words die at my lips. Because standing in the doorway is the one and only Marcus Eaton.

 **So, this is where I would've ended this update. But because this is long overdue…**

I swallow nervously as his eyes, the same color as Tobias', but harder, colder, darker, as they narrow into slits. "Prior," he says harshly. "You're Andrew and Natalie's daughter." I remain silent. "What are you doing in my house, young lady?"

I straighten up. "Getting things that no longer belong to you," I say, my voice unwavering. I slide the album under my waistband at the small of my back. I give Eaton an once-over. He's shorter than Tobias by a few inches, but still taller than me. He's got a few years on him and has a bit of a beer gut. I could take him. My eyes then land on what's in his hand. There, in his fist, is his belt. Probably the same belt that he used on Tobias' back for 7 years. Rage pumps through my veins and it takes a lot of self-restraint not to lunge at him.

"No longer mine?" he asks. "They are under my roof, therefore are my property. Meaning that you are stealing from me, which is remarkably selfish." He starts to unravel the belt from his grip. "There is only one true way to fix such selfishness," he says. "This is for your own good," he growls as he brings his arm back. The belt flies towards me as Tobias come bursting into the room. I put my arm up to protect my face as the belt wraps itself around my wrist, slicing my skin. Tobias grabs Eaton by the collar, a fire of fury burning in his eyes, as he punches his father in the jaw. Eaton falls to the ground as Tobias grabs the sculpture and my hand, pulling me towards the front door. I take the photo album out from the small of my back and hold it as Tobias runs down the stairs almost silently and through the door. We keep running for two block.

"Tobias," I gasp. "We… I need to stop."

He slows down to a complete stop and gulps. He turns to me, breathing heavily. His hands are shaking from all the adrenaline in his system. He runs a hand through his hair.

"Let me see it," he commands. I give him a confused look before he grabs the photo album. He takes my hand, dropping the book in between us. He holds up my arm and inspects the cut on my wrist. The upper half of my forearm is slick with blood. He sighs as he rips a part of his shirt, wrapping the fabric around the wound. "You're going to need stitches. The hospital is a few miles away. We need to get your parents."

So, when we get home, Tobias rushes upstairs to wake my parents. A moment later, he and my mother hurry down the stairs. "Beatrice," my mother starts once she reaches me. "Let me see it." I obediently hold out my arm as she unwraps it. She sighs. "I cannot fix this. I will take you to the hospital."

XxX

An hour and a half later, Mom is signing the release forms for me to go home. I sit next to Tobias and wait for her.

"How many?" he asks.

"Only six. It wasn't deep," I say.

He takes my hand in his and smiles at me. "Maybe we can call you Six from now on," he jokes.

I smile and put my head on his shoulder. "Four and Six, huh?" I say.

"Four and Six," he repeats as he kisses my forehead.

"Okay, kids," my mom says as she walks towards us. Her eyes are slightly bloodshot and her posture sags ever so slightly with exhaustion. "Let's go home."

 **Okay, that's it for tonight. I really hope everyone enjoyed it. I will update as soon as I can, and I appreciate all the love and support y'all have shown me. You guys mean the world to me and I love you all to pieces.**

 **Be brave and please review.**


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